We had an awesome trip with so many eye opening experiences.  This week in assembly 2 students shared their experiences.

Sky Ruha - Junior A Captain

Good afternoon, today on behalf of the Junior A netball team I am going to share our experience of our trip to Tonga. While we were heading to Tonga none of us really knew what to expect, most of us had just assumed it was going to be hot weather, sports and many different places to relax and swim. We got off the plane in Tonga and the weather was around 26 degrees, sports were being played all around the island as you drove past as well as seeing many kids with massive smiles on their faces. One highlight for everyone was the school visits. Being able to connect and being surrounded by kids that wanted signatures and photos every second, being able to understand their culture and share ours with them was amazing. Another highlight was having the opportunity to play netball against many Tonga Schools, on grass courts, in the heat, taking out our grade. We are really thankful for this opportunity and will remember it forever.

Pirihira Balt - Senior A Captain

22 players as well as teachers and adults had the absolute privilege of visiting Tonga for an exchange. We are all so very grateful and appreciative to have had this opportunity, and I just wanted to take this time to thank NZ Maori Tourism, Tonga Tourism, the Senior Leadership team from Mana College and the board of trustees for making this trip possible.

While we were away we were able to visit 3 colleges and one middle school. One of my favourite schools we visited was Tonga Side School which was a mixed primary intermediate. Although they did not have a lot of material things they were so warm and welcoming and made us feel special by getting lots of photos with us and asking for autographs, so I really enjoyed that experience. Each school we visited had over a thousand students which was nerve wracking, yet we embraced the experience and were able to gain unforgettable memories. The singing at every school was so loud and passionate and it really painted the picture for us that they were proud of their schools and their faith.

As the time went on and we visited more schools, we started to realise the similarities and the differences between each place. Every school had their own unique flare, but the one thing that all of the schools had in common was their unity and their faith. Now, faith is personally a new thing to me, but after being immersed in prayers, others talking about their faith and attending a church service it has now opened my mind to others perspectives and beliefs.

We also visited two resorts that had been wiped out due to the volcanic eruption and tsunami that hit them. We heard stories about how they ran for their lives and how their faith in god has given them the resilience to keep them going even through these tough times. They plan on and are in the process of rebuilding their resorts, which provide income to their local communities.

While we were there we took part in a one day Netball tournament that consisted of 7 games for the senior team and 6 for the juniors. In the end both Mana teams came out on top winning the junior and senior grades. We were able to play against some of the schools that we had visited, along with some others schools from around the area. The games were played on grass in 25 degree heat, which was definitely a new experience for all of us, as we usually play in the winter and on concrete.

We all had a really good time over in Tonga hearing others stories, getting to meet some amazing people and getting to play netball. Overall I've learned that the Tongan people are strong in their faith, strong in their culture and strong in their manaakitanga. 

If you ever get the chance to visit Tonga, you should take the opportunity to go there and experience it.