Blog from the Tongan Youth Trust

The Tongan Youth Trust are pleased to announce a very successful evening at the Tongan Youth Excellence Awards on Friday 16th March; with a full house of 300 guests, nominees and families present. We give special acknowledgement to Le Va for their generous sponsorship of the Education Category.  Thank you especially to Dr Monique Faleafa for presenting the Junior and Senior Education Awards.

The Tongan Youth Trust is a not for profit organisation, founded in 1996. The aim of the trust is to increase and empower the aspirations of Tongan youth, by encouraging them to reach a higher level of education through NCEA mentorship and education programmes; thus giving them a greater sense of self-worth and motivation for future study and qualifications.

The Tongan Youth Excellence Awards is an annual event designed to celebrate and honour the successes of young people striving towards a higher purpose in our community.

Thirty-six Tongan Youth were commended in the five categories of Education, Arts and Music, Business, Sports and Community Leadership. Among those nominated in the Education Category, were four esteemed members of the Hausia family for medicine and engineering; and Mosese Fifita for architecture. 

Education Award recipeints (Senior): Mosese Lisiate H Fifita, ‘Alisi Vaioleti Hausia, Dr ‘Esther Hausia Fonua, Lehopoame Vi Hausia

The junior category saw four nominees congratulated for study in Criminology, Health Science and Biology; and one acknowledged for the Pacific Academic Excellence Scholarship Award from the Sir George Elliot Charitable Trust.

Education Award recipients (Junior): Rachel Falekaono, Latai Pope, Tevita Uilou, Siu Ngaluafe

We were privileged to be joined by the Minister of Pacific People, Hon. Aupito William Sio, and Labour List MP Anahila Kanongata’s Suisuiki, as well as members of the Mangere-Otahuhu Board and many auspicious church and community leaders. Both the Ministers gave inspirational speeches to all assembled. We were also fortunate to hear from our guest speaker Frankie Lolohea, who was a recipient of a business award last year..

We at the Tongan Youth Trust praise Le Va for the work they do to assist youth through scholarship programmes and youth suicide prevention. We are eager to acknowledge some of these deserving young people, as recipients at our Tongan Youth Excellence Awards, and look forward to engaging with Le Va in the future. Together we can all honour and uplift youth in our society, by honouring their achievements and striving to build closer relationships with each other. 

The Tongan Youth Trust Team