Job Description
The Kingdom of Tonga – located in Polynesia in the South Pacific – consisting of 170 islands stretching 500 miles north to south with a land mass of 290 square miles over 270,000 square miles of ocean. A strongly Christian nation, religion plays a large part in Tongan society and intersects with custom beliefs and the four golden values of Tonga: respect, nurturing relationships, humility, and loyalty.
Tonga is one of the world’s most exposed countries to environmental impacts and natural disasters increasing the complexity and variability for community resilience and risk management. The Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) and Peace Corps continue to build a strong partnership focused on improving environmental outcomes. The focus of this development approach is long-term with sustained shared learning, understanding, and growth.
During Pre-Service Training (PST), Volunteers will engage in a structured experiential learning process to acquire both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. This training will equip them with the skills necessary to effectively facilitate community projects through key "anchor activities" in priority development areas in Tonga.
Waste Management
Poor waste disposal can lead to severe environmental and health challenges in Tonga. Volunteers will support initiatives to improve waste management through:
• Community Clean-ups & Awareness Campaigns: Organizing and promoting events to remove waste and educate communities about the environmental impact of improper waste disposal.
• Eco-bricks & Sustainable Solutions: Teaching communities how to repurpose plastic waste into eco-bricks, which can be used for construction and community development projects.
Marine Conservation
Tonga’s marine ecosystems are vital for food security and biodiversity. Volunteers working in this area will assist with:
• Data Management & Monitoring: Collaborating with local community leaders and members to collect and analyze data on ocean resources within marine protected areas.
• Community-led Marine Protection Initiatives: Supporting sustainable fishing practices and local conservation efforts.
Farming & Sustainable Agriculture
Agriculture remains a critical component of food security and economic stability in Tonga. Volunteers will help promote sustainable farming techniques, such as:
• Composting & Organic Farming: Encouraging the use of organic fertilizers to improve soil health and agricultural productivity.
• Agroforestry & Resilient Crops: Promoting the planting of resilient crops and integrating tree planting into farming practices to prevent soil erosion and enhance biodiversity.
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Access to clean water and proper sanitation is crucial for preventing diseases and improving overall community health. Volunteers will facilitate:
• Water Access & Management: Assisting with the development of sustainable water supply systems, rainwater harvesting and storage solutions.
• Sanitation & Hygiene Promotion: Educating communities on best hygiene practices, including handwashing, safe water storage and sanitation infrastructure improvements.
Disaster Risk Reduction & Mitigation
Given Tonga’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Volunteers will support local communities in building resilience through:
• Community Emergency Action Plans: Assisting communities in developing and implementing plans to prepare for and respond to cyclones, tsunamis, and other disasters.
• Go-Bag Tutorials & Awareness Campaigns: Educating communities on disaster preparedness and 72-hour kits.
Community priorities will vary from site to site, but implementing these “anchor” activities with a local counterpart is an effective way for Volunteers to gain trust and community buy-in early in their service. Additionally, Volunteers may collaborate with active partner organizations and stakeholders in these priority areas, working within their communities.
Required Skills
Qualified candidates will have an expressed interest in promoting environmental awareness in schools and communities, and one or more of the following criteria:
•Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degree in any field
OR
•5 years' professional work experience
Desired Skills
Competitive candidates will have one or more of the following criteria:
• BA/BS in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Environmental Education, or a related field.
• One or more year(s) of professional work experience in environmental education, environmental activities, and/or environmental resilience or adaptation activities.
• Experience in science, environment, or disaster risk reduction related field.
• Experience organizing and/or facilitating environmental activities.
• Experience teaching environmental content to all ages, including effective classroom management and informal education.
The Environment project sector in Tonga is still very new to post, communities, and Volunteers alike. Together, we are navigating the unique challenges and experiences that come with opening a new project sector. As a community-based Volunteer, highly qualified candidates will have shown the ability to exercise high degrees of patience, adaptability, ability to work without structured schedules as well as embrace being an active part of the project development process while it is in its pilot phase.
Building, nurturing, and maintaining relationships are extremely important to Tongans; therefore, utilizing soft skills to integrate, communicate, and collaborate with local Tongans is highly encouraged, especially for Volunteers who are working directly with community members.
While not mandatory, the ability to swim and being comfortable with travel over the ocean in either small commercial ferries or small fishing boats is desirable, as Tonga consists of many small islands requiring ferry or boat travel.
Living Conditions
Upon arrival in Tonga, Volunteers will live with a host family during Pre-Service Training (PST). Following PST, Volunteers may continue to live with a subsequent host family or seek independent housing for their two years of service. If a community is unable to provide an independent house, a Volunteer will live in a homestay with a host family. Homestays provide several advantages to Volunteer service including support in integration, language, identifying resources, and safety and security. Due to challenges and associated costs for communities to find adequate stand-alone housing for Volunteers in the community, it is much more likely for Environment Volunteers to be placed in homestays.
Most Volunteers are assigned to small rural communities with between 100 and 1,000 people. Most Volunteers have electricity, running water, flush toilets, and basic amenities, though Volunteers should be prepared to live with limited to no access to these amenities at any given time during their service. Depending on the community, water can come in the form of a pumped water supply or rain catchment. Electricity and water may be cut off at times or inconsistent due to machinery breakdown, inclement weather, heavy usage, etc.
Volunteers can choose to bring their own personal phone or receive a generic smartphone upon arrival from post. Post will provide a SIM/eSIM card for those who bring their own phone. Plans include free calls and texts to all staff and Volunteers. Post also provides an additional allowance stipend for purchase of a local data plan to the Volunteer’s preference.
Internet services are generally available throughout Tonga, including the outer islands, via mobile data providers. Post will be supporting continual online learning throughout service and will support Volunteers in accessing needed services and devices.
Transportation at site primarily consists of walking and local community transport. Bus and taxi services are only available on the main island of Tongatapu. Travel to and from the outer island groups is most often via small commercial ferries and plane services. Small boats are used for traveling within island groups. Delays due to weather or maintenance are common and require patience and flexibility.
Inclement weather can also impact running water and electricity, as well as internet/phone service. Staff assesses the weather situation daily during cyclone season and communicate alerts to Volunteers. Safety and Security is a top priority and is covered during training.
Food is often the center of any event in Tonga. On Sundays or special occasions, Tongan families prepare food in an underground oven called an ‘umu.’ Tongan food consists primarily of root crops (yams, taro, cassava, etc.) and meat (beef, pork, chicken, fish, etc.). Vegetables are available, but availability diminishes the further you are from Tongatapu. In most communities, Volunteers will need to be prepared to navigate a diet that is primarily root crop and meat-based with vegetables being less common.
Language Skills Additional Information
Volunteers will be given initial and ongoing training in the Tongan language. Basic Tongan is very helpful to enable Volunteers to understand and integrate with the communities in which they live and work. Some Volunteer counterparts and community members will speak English, which can prove challenging to continued Tongan language learning when at site. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to use Tongan even in situations where they could use English. Efforts to use Tongan go a long way with developing relationships at site. Volunteers are expected to engage in continual language learning throughout their service utilizing e-learning, community tutors, and immersion in their communities. A good control of the Tongan language is necessary to effectively work in the community and continual practice in Tongan language will increase the impact of Volunteer activities. Additionally, consistent practice in the community is important to pick up the colloquial or casual communication most often used. Environment Resilience Facilitators will be working closely with the community and will require a greater mastery of the Tongan language. The final Language Proficiency level for the Environment Resilience Facilitators may be higher than the Education Trainees.
Integration is an important cornerstone for successful service and can be impacted by mastery of the Tongan language. Successful integration requires flexibility, humility, curiosity, perseverance, a healthy sense of humor, and consistent repeated efforts at building relationships. All of these are characteristics that can be positively impacted by strong grasp of the language.
Couples Comments
Couples in Tonga must apply and qualify to serve as an English Language Teacher and Facilitator or Environmental Adaptation and Resilience Promoter.
During Pre-Service Training (PST) and the eleven weeks of community-based training, couples should expect to live in separate households. They will be hosted by different host families and might be in different communities during PST. Placing each partner in a different household during PST allows for increased interaction with host families to learn the language, and an equitable training environment for both partners. Site placements for dual environment sector couples would be in the same community or in a central location serving multiple communities. Site placements for mixed education and environment couples will be placed near schools which might serve multiple communities. In service, couples will live together in a house provided by one of their respective communities. Depending on the situation, couples might be separated in case of medical or emergency related travel. While at site, couples often face challenges not faced by single Volunteers. Integration and immersion can prove more difficult as communities tend to give couples more space and allow them to spend more time with each other. This requires couples to be more proactive engaging in their community. Additionally, with the societal norms in-country couples may experience different expectations based on the traditional distribution of roles in the Tongan household.
Tonga is a very religious country and oftentimes couples are placed in church school systems or with host families where the assumption is that these couples are legally married. Therefore, it is important that couples that serve in Tonga are legally married to avoid conflicts that may arise due to marital statuses that are not aligned with cultural and religious beliefs.
Peace Corps works to foster safe and productive assignments for same-sex couples and same-sex couples are not placed in countries where homosexual acts are criminalized. Because of this, same-sex couples’ placements are more limited than heterosexual couple placements. During the application process, Recruiters and Placement Officers work closely with same-sex couple applicants to understand current placement opportunities.
Language Requirements Information
There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Environmental Adaptation and Resilience Activities (Public Information)
As an Environment Volunteer, you will be trained on best practices to protect natural resources and promote an understanding of environmental changes and challenges, including their causes. As environmental challenges become more evident, the social, economic, and environmental conditions faced by communities will become increasingly problematic, particularly for vulnerable households in low-lying areas and in historically marginalized communities.
As an Environment Volunteer, you will be trained to support communities’ adaptation to global change through your activities. Such activities may include:
• Rehabilitating natural ecosystems, including by planting trees to manage coastal erosion, extreme heat, inland flooding, and other emerging natural hazards
• Promoting disaster preparedness to increase the resilience of vulnerable households and communities and their ability to respond to extreme weather events such as cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons
• Promoting environmental education to enable community members, particularly youth, to care for nature and be mindful of environmental health, considering trends in heat, precipitation, and natural resource availability
• Assisting in the sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystem services that promote economic, health, and other benefits to the community
• Promoting nature-based solutions that the community has found successful for addressing emerging environmental issues
