“It's not about how wealthy someone might be or about foreign aid. It's about the heart of the people. Survival and our faith in God shows us how people love and help one another.”
Addressing the nation after the 2022 Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption and tsunami, the King framed recovery as resting on the compassion Tongans show one another and their faith, not on material wealth.
— tupou-vi, Tonga
Source: King Tupou VI, national address following the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami, January 2022, quoted via Vision Christian Media in World Prayer Centre, "Tongan King inspires with Godly speech"
More Proverbs from Tonga
God and Tonga are my inheritance.
Tonga's national motto, affirming that religious faith and the homeland together form the nation's enduring inheritance.
'Ofa binds the family and carries the nation.
'Ofa — love, compassion, and generosity — is regarded as Tonga's foundational social value, expressed through giving, caring for elders, and communal obligation.
Tauhi vā — tend the space between people.
The practice of nurturing and maintaining harmonious relationships and social space (vā) between individuals, families, and generations; a central concept in Tongan social philosophy.
Faka'apa'apa — respect is owed to all, and returned by all.
Mutual respect, especially toward elders and chiefs, is a core pillar of Tongan social conduct.
Fetokoni'aki — what one carries, all may help to carry.
Mutual help and cooperation; the expectation that community members assist one another, especially in times of need.
Mamahi'i me'a — loyalty is proven in devotion to what matters.
Deep loyalty and passionate commitment to one's family, community, church, or cause.