Final Evaluation Report: Future Ready Children (Tonga, 2025)

The Fakafuo ‘o e tangata ma’ae kaha’u (Future Ready Children) Project was implemented in Tonga from August 2022 to July 2025 through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). The initiative aimed to strengthen child protection systems within the Tongan education sector by supporting the Government of Tonga to develop and implement robust, inclusive, and equitable mechanisms to prevent and respond to violence against children.

The final evaluation aimed to assess the extent to which the Project achieved its intended outcomes, identify mechanisms that contributed to or hindered success, and generate recommendations for future programming. The study design was guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria and adopted a mixed-methods approach.

The evaluation found that the project showed strong coherence with existing national interventions, aligning closely with government agencies and service providers while bridging service gaps through collaborative planning and culturally relevant delivery. It led to significant improvements in teacher and student awareness and practices around bullying, child protection, and cyber safety, with notable reductions in bullying incidents and increased confidence in safeguarding and First Aid responses. Interventions were highly relevant and well-adapted to local needs and values, but challenges such as language barriers, limited follow-up, and entrenched cultural norms affected reach and sustainability. Sustainability prospects are strengthened by integration into national structures, yet ongoing training and broader engagement are needed to maintain impact and address persistent barriers.