TYEE managed to put together a short tutorial video to help raise the awareness amongst the youth and the community at large with a message - "YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY".  Prevention is better than cure! Wash your hands, keep your social distancing and stay home if you are not feeling well.  We thank all who got involved and our GO GREEN! Program Coordinator, Live Mafi for putting this video together. Please take good care of yourselves and your loved ones.

NUKU'ALOFA, 18 March 2020: The Legislative Assembly of Tonga (Fale Alea 'o Tonga) as the host of the Tonga Youth Parliament 2020 (TYP) invited Tonga Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship Inc. (TYEE) to present during the session; "EDUCATION AND YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT" in Parliament. The TYP hopes to encourage civic participation, to provide a platform where the voice of our youth can be heard and to prepare them as leaders today and in the future.

TYEE was given the opportunity to present on the youth unemployment issues, specifically on:

• Opportunities for employment for the youth, and also on
• Opportunities for vocational training opportunities to improve access to wider opportunities for employment for the youth of Tonga.

Miss. Ilaisaane Manu, 22 years old from Kolofo'ou/Kolomotu'a, represented TYEE and delivered a powerful speech in Parliament during the TYP session on Education and Youth Unemployment. The other panelists in the session were the Tonga Ministry of Education and Training, and Tonga Skills funded by the Government of Australia. 

​You can hear 'Ilaisaane Manu's speech from the video link below. 

Ilaisaane asked some tough questions to the Members of the Youth Parliament, and she emphasised on the importance of all relevant stakeholders standing together (teamwork) and making the effort to work together in collaboration and as partners of the youth sector for the greater good and improvement to our youth accessing education, training and employment opportunities in Tonga.  "Why do you hesitate in giving the youth the opportunity today if you say that we are the future of Tonga?"

​Imagine the impact we could make in Tonga as a whole if we are to join hands together with the government and the relevant development partners. Governments come and go, Donor funded programs come and go, but the youth of Tonga together with TYEE's commitment remain the same.

TYEE would like to thank the Legislative Assembly of Tonga as the host of the Tonga Youth Parliament 2020 (TYP) for the invitation to participate in this important session. We hope that our humble contribution together with the outcome of this event would be fruitful and the voice of the unemployed and disadvantaged youth will be taken into account for the betterment of their lives - who are the today and future of this nation!  At the same time, we can all contribute positively to the greater economy of Tonga and the UN #SDG2030.  Let us have hope and give hope.

On Friday, 6th of March marks TYEE GO GREEN! first event for this year, 2020. 

“TYEE GO GREEN! SWAP & YOUTH EVENING MARKET”

GO GREEN! a volunteering platform, started with 13 volunteers this year, and we ended our main event last Friday with all of these 13 volunteers, signifying the commitment and dedication these youths have to improving themselves and our environment. But also, to have youths, sacrificing their time and ideas and constantly contributing for the betterment of something other than themselves indicates, we are doing something right here in TYEE GO GREEN!

We started the day with a GO GREEN! Zumba to encourage healthy living and build the confidence of our participants as we moved further into the day. 

We introduced the SWAP last year to the public and managed to obtain 4 registrations. Our second event just last Friday, the number of our registrations for the SWAP tripled to 13 from just November 2019 (GO GREEN! Launch Event) to March the 6th 2020 indicating that the youth and the general public are beginning to see the value of their contribution not only for the environment but also for themselves as we have become a more affordable, sustainable and fashionable clothing solution for these individuals.  In addition to receiving 6 new pieces of clothes on the event, the SWAP members were offered a TYEE GO GREEN! free pack meal and free soft drinks, priority to our YOUTH MARKET and a surprise recycled GO GREEN! Souvenir. So, it’s safe to say, all these 13 members are looking forward for the next event already. 

The second part to our event was introducing our young entrepreneurs through our YOUTH EVENING MARKET. Altogether there were a total of 6 registered members that took advantage of this opportunity to sell and showcase their talents and skills to the public for the first time. We had youths from differing backgrounds including youth groups from Tonga National Youth Congress whom presented and sold the locally-made products their youth are also working on, the Ahopanilolo Technical Institute well known for the raw talents of their students in culinary and sewing professions were also able to showcase and sell their youth-made products, and the SDA Houmakelikao youth members as well. 

A trained GO GREEN! volunteer was assigned to help the entrepreneurs promote and sell their products as part of them gaining relevant work experiences and getting ready for work. These youth entrepreneurs earned quite a lot in just 2hrs. The event had become a networking function for the participants where we have the youth members and organisations or institutes learn from each other, interact and develop the team spirit and togetherness we foster here in TYEE GO GREEN!

At the end of the day, when we reflect on what we have achieved in just 2-3 hours, it takes months and years for a lot of people to accomplish. Although we aim to give our GO GREEN! Volunteers the necessary skills and work experience by putting them in real life situations and facing real customers so that they have a glimpse of what’s its really like out there in the business world, we have come to realize, we are doing more than just bridging that gap in skills and work experience, but rather, we are helping these youth breakthrough the barriers that is limiting them and discouraging their talents, some of which are the lack of confidence, low self-esteem, not acknowledging their talents, whatever it may be. We found a way to help these youth shape their mindset, rise to their potential and take charge of their futures. 

Together we have created an army of one, and it was not about what organisation or which volunteer, it was about what future can we create together, and to have youths unite in this manner is very powerful to say the least.  Friends, families, TYEE employed youths came to show their support and offered their kind donations.

But it would’ve never been made possible if not for the support from the business and sponsors such as Digicel, BSP Bank, South Pacific Mozuku, Hadassah Educational Stop, Tonga Power Ltd, TNYC, SCH Law Office, Jessica Afeaki and WOIT. We hope you see the value of your sponsorship and the impact of your support on our GO GREEN! initiative but especially on the lives of these youth members.
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It is OUR home; it is OUR future and it is OUR responsibility. 
TYEE GO GREEN!

TYEE GO GREEN! will be hosting a Youth Evening Market on Friday, 6th March 2020 at the DIGICEL SQUARE, NUKU'ALOFA starting from 5pm.

​The theme: "think green, think recycle". This event will include our popular Clothes SWAP and the youth market stalls for participating youth ages 18 to 35. The aim of this event is to encourage and promote youth entrepreneurship - the talents and skills of our young people so they can realise their potentials.  That their talents and skills can become their own job creation and income generation tools.  "KE HOKO HO TALENITI KO E MA'U'ANGA MO'UI".

To participate you can register at TYEE office for either the Clother SWAP event or to have a market stall. Registrations will close on Thursday 5th March at 4pm. For more details we have attached a short promo video and some flyers for your information on here.  Simply "click play" on both videos below to view.