PRESS RELEASE

The Corporate Fundraiser Dinner was raised in support of TYEE’s centres for Youth Development Programmes.

ANCIENT TONGA, FANGALOTO – SEPTEMBER 27, 2018.

Over 150 people attended the first TYEE Corporate Fundraiser Dinner on Thursday, 27th September 2018 in support of TYEE’s facility for the Youth Development Programmes, which provides youth school leavers aged 18 to 29 with the relevant support services and opportunities for skills development, employment, entrepreneurship and mentorship support in Tonga.  Thanks to your generous sponsorship, we were able to raise funds to support our centres for youth development programmes – YTIC and TYMC – and raise awareness among corporate sponsors of our objectives. 

Thanks to our combined efforts, we were able to host over 150 people, who purchased tickets to the dinner, or provided and purchased auction or raffle items.  We have also garnered support from businesses as well as individuals for future initiatives of TYEE. 
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This event would not have been a success without the generous support you provided to us.  We deeply appreciate the willingness with which you have and continue to support our efforts to provide young people with an opportunity to gain meaningful employment, or to establish small businesses of their own.

​The online and live auctions incorporated nine unique items which were proudly sponsored by Corporate Sponsors from:

​which we sold a total of eight items during the event. Winning bidders of these items spent some money on them which helped raise money for the worthy cause. There was some good ole fashioned bidding experience taking place. The auction items and the Winning Bidders can be viewed online here. 

We sold several of the raffle tickets multiple times for fifteen sponsored prizes which were kindly donated by the Corporate Sponsors and individuals from: 

Attendees were pleased to also can drop their business cards in a bowl for the Mystery Prize Draw kindly sponsored by Roxanne, Payless Store. The lucky draw and the Mystery Prize went to the BSP Bank business card.  The Sponsors Raffle Prizes and more details can be viewed online here.

“We enjoy including the Corporate sponsored items in our live auction for a several reasons: it enhances our auction with unique experiences, allows us to sell them multiple times which generates more income and helps free up our staff to focus on other areas”. 

TYEE was first established in 2014 as a registered not for profit youth support service organisation.
The need to establish the organisation arose from the high rate of youth unemployment in Tonga and the increasing number of school-leavers each year who were unable to secure a job.  We work with the aim to help young school-leavers age 18 to 29.

Today, our youth comprise a large proportion of the nation’s population. However, the simple fact is, there are not enough jobs in Tonga to cater for our growing population and not everyone who completes their education will get a job.

Despite this challenge, it has been our mission to assist our youth to find employment.  For young entrepreneurs who are interested in establishing their own businesses, our goal is to empower youth with relevant information and support to help them get started.  Read more.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Lusia Latu-Jones
E: lusia.latu@tyeetonga.org M: +676 841-1791

Photographs courtesy of Mr. Robin Payounghusband of Martian Maroon Photography

TYEE is a not for profit youth support service organisation in Tonga is working with the aim to help the young school-leavers ages 18-29 in our commitment to addressing youth unemployment. TYEE is also working towards developing a sustainable organisation in Tonga for the youth, as future leaders and champions of Tonga.  

With your kind support through volunteering, sponsorship and donations TYEE can continue to serve our youth and deliver our youth development programmes, while providing and developing the platforms for youth opportunities and support.  Together - we can continue to place our participating youth into jobs and/or create jobs and income being youth entrepreneurs. 

Fundraising is one of our activities that we host each year to assist us in funding the youth platforms and programmes. This year, we are seeking support to raise funds in support of our centres for the youth development programmes, which includes the soon to be launched Youth Technology Incubators Centre (YTIC) and Tonga Youth Market Connect (TYMC).  

We will be hosting a Corporate Fundraiser Dinner on:  
Date:       Thursday, 27th September 2018 
Venue:   Ancient Tonga, Fangaloto  
Time:      6.30pm to 11pm.  

The tickets are $45 per person. This will include a buffet dinner, non-alcoholic drinks, entertainment and a raffle. 

We warmly invite you to join us and kindly seek your support in donating some items for the raffle/auctions on the night. This could include anything you would like to donate or give away and incorporate into our gift packs during the event. In turn, we would promote your company as an official sponsor of TYEE.

If your company is interested in purchasing tickets or donating to our raffle/auction, please kindly contact us on email at hello@tyeetonga.org or call Lola Liava’a Tonga on (676) 887-1793 or Lusia Latu-Jones on (676) 841-1791.

We appreciate your time and generosity and look forward to seeing you at our event.

Monday 3rd September 2018: TYEE together with the TMHDA hosted a group of third year undergraduate students from the Bachelor of Social Work programme within the Faculty of Education and Social Work at University of Auckland.  A few of their cohort students and faculty staff are visiting the Kingdom of Tonga from 30th August to 5th September 2018.  The group consists of approximately 10 students and three Senior Staff from the faculty with the support of Faculty Staff, as well as the Associate Dean for International, Dr Marek Tesar and Associate Professor for Pacific Studies, Professor Damon Salesa. 

The initiative to visit The Kingdom of Tonga has been student driven, it is to enhance their learning and knowledge by  meeting with individuals and community groups from both the public and private sectors and NGOs in relation to delivery of services that align with the field of social work.

The exposure and cultural immersion at grass roots level with a population group that represents a high proportion of service users within social services in New Zealand, would be a great learning and cultural exchange opportunity for our social work cohort, to better assist and apply theories and models for appropriate interventions. 

Their visit to Tonga is timely, that student participants have recently completed 12 weeks of placement with various NGO's that deliver services ranging from Mental Health, Child and Family Protection, Elderly support and advocate services, Domestic violence, LGBTQI community, to name but a few.  In their last year of study in 2019 for the BSW programme, students will be in practicum within the diverse areas of the field within the Public Sector, this will be towards the end of the year. 

For Social Workers, it is important for them to ensure that they are well informed in their practice, as students, exposure to as much of their field of practice in the role of advocacy and support for those in need, as well as broadening their impartiality and views through different lenses and contributing to positive change that affect the most vulnerable in our society.

Present at the event was the President of the TMHDA, Mr Leo Hoponoa and members of the TMHDA Board, also TYEE President, Lusia Latu-Jones and Vice-President of TYEE Board, Sela Bloomfield.

Both of the organisations' Presidents; TYEE and TMHDA were presented with Certificates of Appreciation and Thanks accompanied with small gift products of NZ by the Faculty Staff from the Education and Social Work of Auckland University.

TYEE President thanked the group for the opportunity to meet and discuss social issues that matter most to us and its impact on youth work in Tonga.  The visit also enhance the need and interest to foster relevant networks and a closer working relationship between TYEE & TMHDA and the Faculty of Education and Social Work at Auckland University for future collaboration and partnership opportunities.

The event was held at TYEE's new facility, Tonga Youth Market Connect (TYMC) at House of Tonga.