Who We Are

Fofo'anga Toafa Sonora AZ was established in Scottsdale, Arizona, originally serving families of the Sonoran Desert, and grew into serving families across the USA since 2014, as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. While our work primarily roots in Arizona foundations, we work and partner with multiple nonprofits across the United States, to share and preserve a culture of community impact - with Love, Respect, and Order.

 

Mission: FTS AZ assists families enduring hardships and loss, aiming to focus on preserving a culture of love, respect, and order. Serving our hard working families of a quiet community, many treading dark unimaginable waters, from all walks of life.

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Background: The last existing monarchy in the South Pacific is the Kingdom of Tonga, one of the tiny Polynesian Islands found Northeast of New Zealand. Just less than 50 years ago, Polynesians, including many of Tongan descent, set forth seeking the American Dream. The Founder and Director of FTS AZ is one of those migrants, whom later married and raised a beautiful American-Tongan family, became a US citizen, and continues to help support others in embracing the blessings of working as a community. While he left all he knew and had back in the islands, his respect for community and love for culture was never left behind.

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Over the decades, helping the community became a normal responsibility in his heart, and daily work. Outside of supporting his family, CEO Taufa Anau spent his down time with community involvement, supporting and being a part of a Cultural Tongan Club, well known as Fofo'anga. For many years, this community naturally came together, helping each other in daily life, and supporting each other while enduring tough times. They understood everyone would endure hardships at some point in life, and sometimes the best they could do for each other was come together, and take turns in coping with life.

 

From suffering with tragic health news, to enduring sudden family deaths, to struggles of paying the water bill, Fofo'anga always came together to help however they could. It was a cultural norm for Tongans to come together, and help families enduring tragedy and life changing milestones. 

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While he served with many, his passion for serving our community led Anau to take the next step of growing and sharing this type of love with further communities. After many years of serving, he decided to register Fofo'anga Toafa Sonora AZ as the first official AZ Nonprofit organization, of its kind. 

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What is it? What does it mean? Why such an unusual name? The Tongan word fōfō‘anga literally translates into ‘pumice stones’, which are tiny volcanic rocks found floating on the ocean surface, eventually scattering across beach shores, coming from various origins. As most authentic Polynesian names tell a story, understanding the story behind our organization's name explains the heart of our cause - people from all origins coming together to build and preserve community.

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Fofo’anga is a created space of gathering people and ideas, from different walks of life, and respecting all as one. Fofo'anga is about understanding that we are all connected. The universal motto for most Fofo'anga clubs is, "Lau pe ae ua koe taha," which in English translates to, "Consider the pairs as one." Whether someone grew up in a castle or lived in a hut, we understood even with an order of hierarchy,  one does not exist without the other. So, we take turns enduring hardships, therefore we support community from all walks of life, as one. 

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Toafa translates to 'Desert', while Sonora is name of our desert here in Arizona. The Sonoran Desert is the heart of our operations. We are a small community of hands, however, we carry strong hearts in love.

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We work to empower our communities, to support each other through Love, Respect, and Order.

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