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The five finalists from Tonga, Arthur Cocker, Luseane Taufa, Fane Kite, Fai'ana Fe'aomoeata, and Brian Taunisila. Congratulations to all our five finalists for their wonderful achievements and hard work throughout the program of 2022. We wish you well in your endeavors and in growing your small businesses. The Two Winners of the USD5,000 Grant funded by Qatar Fund for DevelopmentCongratulations to the winners: Arthur Cocker (Defiant Robotics) and Fai'ana Fe'aomoeata (Pearls of Vava'u). We wish you all the very best as you work to develop and grow your small businesses and make an impact for Tonga and your communities.Best Friend Passion for Fashion by 'Ofeina Tuita and Siunipa PahuluBest Friend Passion for Fashion by Siunipa Pahulu and Ofeina Tuita, a partnership which started from their bond of friendship. They shared the same talent for sewing fashion at the same time they both wanted to help their families. They came up with the idea to start a sewing business with the aim to utulise their given talents that they have been blessed with, and to encourage the youth of Tonga that sewing is a way of earning a living, but not just through studying at school. The two friends first met at a rugby game in which they both play rugby and as their friendship developed, they found out that they both do sewing from their homes, and they quickly decided to team up, help each other and share their sewing workload so that they are able to avail their time to still participate in their rugby trainings and games. As they progress further with their friendship and partnership in sewing, they found that working from home became a challenge with odd hours of work, customers not paying, can't separate their business from family expenses and needs, not able to save, they certainly needed some business guidance and support. They started planning to look at setting up their sewing business by looking for a suitable place to operate. This is when they came to see Lusia Jones, Director for TYEE to seek for help. TYEE recommended to Best Friend Passion for Fashion owners to start with the Youth Business Incubator support program at TYEE where TYEE accommodate or incubate them in a shared incubator workspace. This will allow them to operate from a suitable and safe business environment while receiving the relevant opportunity and support to set themselves up in the right way of doing business. They are now on their second month within the business incubator and they have found it to be beneficial for them, not only they see improvement in their work and service to customers, meet new customers, but they are also able to make some money, manage it and save for the development of their business plan, and to help their families. Best Friend Passion for Fashion operates from TYEE Incubator Workspace, Monday to Friday during business hours and they welcome all sewing request from young and old, male and female - they can sew it. Advantages of working within TYEE business incubatorThe advantages of working within a business incubator include:
Contact TYEE for more details about our Youth Business IncubatorTYEE business incubator is a specialised program designed as a space for new businesses to learn and grow. The programs provide services for entrepreneurs and startups while offering reduced rates for supplies and work space.
First published on the Pacific Greenpreneurs website, 5th October 2022 Suva, Fiji, 5th October 2022: Seventy-eight enterprises from six countries were invited to attend the Pacific Greenpreneurs 2022 Incubator orientation, kick off workshops and networking events held by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)’s Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN). The in-person events were held between 21st September to 1st October in Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, facilitated by the consultants in Fiji and Kiribati and implementing partners, Emstret Space (E-Space) in PNG, Samoa Business Hub (SBH) in Samoa, Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) in Tonga and Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Vanuatu. Participating green enterprises are purpose-driven, with social and/or environmental missions and represent a diverse range of sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, circular economy & waste management, clean energy, eco-tourism, education & IT, construction & consulting. Fifty-eight percent of the ‘Greenpreneurs’ cohort are women-led and additionally 58% are youth-led enterprises. Read the rest of the article here (click the link) PGEN in-person Kick-off Workshops at TYEE Tonga, 27 & 29 September 2022Photo Gallery from Tonga Kick-off Workshops & Networking EventPhotographs by South Seas Photography
Wednesday, 21st September 2022 Nuku'alofa: Eight young Tongan men and women “Greenpreneurs” and their green enterprises have been selected to join the 2022 Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) incubator program. Successful entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to participate in a business plan competition to secure grant seed funding of USD$5,000 to help them grow their green business ideas and enterprises. This year, as the local implementing partner, TYEE will co-facilitate the full PGEN incubator program in Tonga for the first time. The Tonga Orientation Event, which marked the beginning of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) program, was held at the Tonga Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) Youth Career Centre, in Mataika, Tongatapu. Visiting Tonga for the first time was the GGGI Director General, Dr. Frank Rijsberman, accompanied by GGGI Regional Director, Ms. Katerina Syngellakis, and the GGGI Team in Tonga - Will Rolston and Lano Fonua. The GGGI team was welcomed by TYEE director, Lusia Jones, who facilitates the program in Tonga. In his remarks, Dr. Rijsberman stated that he started the Greenpreneurs program and GGGI to give young people a chance to start their green businesses and to provide the necessary tools for establishing a business. “One important gap that a program like this can fill, is giving the chance to people with big ideas, specific space and plans but not necessarily the financial skills or the skills to run a business,” he said. The network aims to support green and inclusive job growth by supporting entrepreneurs (particularly women and youth) to develop their green and sustainable businesses, whose business models include solutions aimed at contributing to their country’s climate and sustainable development goals in six Pacific Island countries - Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu. The incubator program targets existing innovative early-stage green micro, small, and medium-enterprises (MSMEs) with demonstrated growth potential that are still in pursuit of a scalable and repeatable business model through localised virtual and physical training and courses, a mentorship program, in-person events, and networking opportunities. In Tonga the eight selected applicants and their businesses are:
The Honourable Minister for Internal Affairs and Houma Council Chairman, Lord Vaea also attended the event. In his remarks, the Honourable Minister spoke of the importance of identifying effective ways to communicate these initiatives to communities and the general public. Moreover, he spoke of the importance of and informing the youth about climate change and what they can do to address or lessen its impacts. The regional Pacific Green Entrepreneurs Network (PGEN) is a 3-year project funded by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute. Also attending the event were representatives from TYEE Board, management and staff, mentors, TYEE in-house youth business incubator and invited guests. About Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI): Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization that supports governments of developing countries to transition to a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. GGGI delivers programs in over 40 partner countries with technical support, capacity building, policy planning & implementation, and by helping to build a pipeline of bankable green investment projects. More on GGGI’s events, projects, and publications can be found on www.gggi.org. You can also follow GGGI on Twitter and join us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. About Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) Established in 2014 as a registered non-governmental and not for profit youth support service organisation working with the aim to help young school-leavers in Tonga ages between 18 to 35 through skills development, employment services, entrepreneurship and mentorship support. Event Photo Gallery |
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February 2023
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