Strengthening resilience of schools to the impacts of disasters in Tonga Format Situation during Tropical cyclone Gita: 21st December, 2020 “The feeling of coming back home to their own school was such a great feeling and touching. A lot of parents and kids were crying (tears of joy) and hugging each other when we went there for the opening. it was so touching to see the reaction of the communities towards the completion and commissioning of their new classrooms.” These are the words of Mr. Manu ‘Akauola, one of the Deputy Chief Executive Officers of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in Tonga, describing the excitement of the communities and students towards the opening of their new reconstructed classrooms which were damaged by the devasted Tropical Cyclone (TC) Gita in 2018.