A new Art Hub was launched for Takuilau College on Friday, 29 August, as part of the Tonga Young Women’s Economic Resilience’ (TYWER) project,
The Takuilau College 'Art Hub' was created by renovating their old school hall.
The initiative was established by Talitha Project and CARE Australia through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). The Deputy High Commissioner for Australia, Ms Erin Gleeson was the guest of honour at the launch.
Director of the Talitha Project, Vanessa Heleta said, "This Art Hub will help students develop their creativity, critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities. Most importantly, it will help talented and gifted students in visual arts to have fulfilling and financially sustainable careers,"
The TYWER project was established in 2022, and aims to equip adolescent girls and boys to have increased economic resilience as a result of engaging in improved income generating activities and/or increased access to savings and loans.
The seven boys and eight girls participating in this program have already gone through comprehensive financial literacy programs and other lifeskills program. They have also established their own savings group and fundraise every Saturday to earn money.
The program is currently being piloted in four communities, with 15 girls and boys in each. It includes a newly installed Sewing Hub equipped with 15 sewing machines and other sewing items and equipment at St Joseph’s Community College, in Ha’apai.
In Vaini Tongatapu, girls are advocating for and planting greenhouses with different plants at their individual houses.
In Patangata Tongatapu, paticipant families has been supplied with fishing equipment for subsistence and commercial consumption.
This program is also supported by the Tonga Women's Information Network for Disasters (Tonga WIND) under the Shifting the Power Coalition.
