Mele, who is from the village of Ha’atafa in Tongatapu, recounts the lasting impact left by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in January last year.
It triggered tsunami waves of up to 15m which struck the west coast of Tongatapu, ’Eua and Ha’apai reports Tagata Pasifika.
Addressing Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni’s Pacific delegation in Tonga this week, Mele says her people continue to show resilience and that she is humbled that her village has been chosen to launch the Pacific Climate Resilience and Tree Planting programme.
