Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation, Supports Tsunami Recovery In Tonga Via Emergency Grant Of $15,000

Tuesday, 18 January 2022, 10:50 am
Press Release: Vodafone

Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation, supports tsunami recovery in Tonga via emergency grant of $15,000 to New Zealand Red Cross and matching donations alongside Vodafone

Following yesterday’s announcement that Vodafone will credit calling charges to Tonga, Te Rourou and Vodafone will match GiveaLittle donations to support emergency relief efforts

Vodafone and Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation are joining forces to support relief efforts in Tonga, as the island nation faces significant damages caused by the eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai.

Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation has issued an immediate emergency grant of $15,000 to New Zealand Red Cross to help provide emergency relief to Tonga - which comes after the announcement that Vodafone will credit all calling charges for any Vodafone landline or mobile calls to Tonga for at least the next week.

Vodafone and Te Rourou will also match donations made to the Pacific Tsunami Appeal GiveaLittle page meaning any public donations will effectively be tripled.

Lani Evans, Head of Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation says the emergency grant will help the Red Cross team on the ground in Tonga. “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the Tongan tsunami. We understand that Tongan Red Cross teams are on the ground supporting evacuations, providing first aid if needed, and distributing prepositioned relief supplies such as tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets, shelter tool kits and hygiene kits for immediate need. Our emergency grant will help to ensure supplies are restocked, helping as many people as possible.”

Sarah Stuart-Black, New Zealand Red Cross Secretary General says additional support from Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation will make a big difference to on-going relief efforts most needed in Tonga. “Financial assistance in disasters such as this, enables us to purchase exactly what is needed, often locally, to support recovery affected communities.”

Vodafone and Te Rourou, Aotearoa Foundation have both pledged to match public donations to their GiveaLittle page up to $200,000. “We know the recovery effort will be ongoing and we want to do everything we can to support the kingdom of Tonga. We know many Kiwis will be keen to support this fundraiser and so, alongside Vodafone, we’re going to triple every dollar donated to the GiveaLittle page,” Lani adds.

Although communications to and from Tonga are currently limited, Vodafone announced yesterday it will be crediting calling charges for any Vodafone landline and mobile calls to Tonga for at least the next week, to make it easier for customers to contact their Tongan whānau and friends as soon as possible.

All funds raised through the GiveaLittle will be donated to New Zealand Red Cross, which will be used to support their relief initiatives throughout Tonga and the Pacific.

This follows similar, previous emergency fundraising efforts by Te Rourou and Vodafone such as in July 2021 when the two raised almost $470,000 for the UNICEF Covid-19 Crisis in India Appeal by matching donations.

About Vodafone New Zealand:

Vodafone New Zealand is one of Aotearoa’s leading connectivity companies and we offer a range of broadband, mobile and technology products. We are focused on creating a better future for Aotearoa New Zealand through remarkable technology solutions that simplify lives and businesses, and operate New Zealand’s largest 5G network. We maintain almost three million connections with consumer, business, public sector and wholesale customers via Vodafone and Farmside, New Zealand’s rural broadband specialist. We’re proud to help other Kiwi businesses to thrive by partnering with world-leading brands to offer best-in-class ICT services. Vodafone New Zealand is owned by Infratil and Brookfield Asset Management and we are a partner market in the Vodafone Group, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.co.nz

About Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa, Foundation:

Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation is a registered charity and the philanthropic arm of Vodafone New Zealand. We’ve been around since 2002 and focused on creating positive outcomes for young people since 2007. In that time, Vodafone has invested more than $45 million in our work, supporting over 1,000 community organisations. Our vision is of an equitable Aotearoa for our rangatahi (young people). Our goal is to halve the number of excluded and disadvantaged young people in New Zealand by2027. It’s an ambitious goal, and we know we can’t achieve it alone – and we can’t achieve it all at once. That’s why we’ve chosen to ‘eat the elephant one bite at a time’ and focus our investment and activities on one regional centre, building relationships, partnering with community and bringing the best of digital technology to open up opportunities and overcome obstacles.

We’ve chosen to focus this work in Invercargill, and we will be supporting community outcomes in the region through till the end of our current strategy in 2027.

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