TYEE took the voice of the unemployed and vulnerable to Tonga Youth Parliament 2020

3/18/2020

Miss. Ilaisaane Manu, TYEE Administrator presented at the TYP, 18/3/2020

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.