TONGA – An American is trying to help troubled youths in Tonga by getting them into skateboarding.

Chris Paquette set up his One Love Foundation in 2013 after moving his family to Tonga and has captured the attention of the government with his innovative efforts to engage with youth.

Paquette constructed a skateboard ramp earlier this year in the village of Puke, just outside the capital Nuku‘alofa. He says up to 60 children now gather at the ramp throughout the week.

He says youth crime had increased recently in Tonga because young people don’t have a lot to do.

“When they get out of school, they end up getting in trouble. Stealing is like on a high during times when school is out on vacation. Drugs are picking up here, crystal meth, and it is just getting worse and worse.

“I’ve noticed, just from building this ramp, that kids have made huge differences in their daily lives.

“When they get home from school they have to do their chores before they can come and skate and they just skate all day.”

Samuel Hafoka volunteers at One Love, teaching martial arts to those who are interested in the hope of instilling discipline in their life. He says he has noticed the environment surrounding youth has changed in recent years in Tonga.

“They don’t really have much to do. I would say they just kind of hang out or not so much involved in what we used to do growing up, the older generations, going to the farms and working the land. Nowadays they just kind of hang out and hang out in town.”

Hafoka says children are attracted to the dare-devil nature of skateboarding.

“I would say it’s the intensity. The fact that you are running a very thin line between good skills and getting possibly hurt. It’s a bit of an excitement. A bit of an extreme sport, so to speak.”

15-year-old Leki and nine-year-old Andrew are regular visitors to the ramp.

“I like to skateboard because it is so fun and I can do many tricks.” Leki says, “I love skateboarding because it is so fun to skateboard with Chris. I love it!”

Paquette says similar skateboard orientated programmes have been successful in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Uganda and Palestine, empowering youth in those countries.

He says he plans to expand the Tongan model to include life skills workshops.

“These people are wonderful people. They’re smart. They just need an avenue to try different things to see what best fits for them and that’s what our non-profit is trying to do.

“We just want to provide these opportunities so that these kids can try out different things, see what works for them and see what doesn’t and go from there.”

The acting CEO of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Onetoto ‘Anisi, says the government is interested in what is happening in Puke.

“The crime rate is going a little bit higher this time but to have youth participate in such a programme, it really is a good programme for them to engage them and keep their time occupied at all times.

“From there they concentrate and spend their time as young people, rather than causing crimes here and there.”

‘Anisi says ministry staff will visit the One Love programme soon to see how they can assist.

- RNZI