Two sisters from Tonga High School, Aline and Palu Teumohenga, have won the 2014 Ministry of Lands, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resource’s National Speech Competition (High School Category).

The theme for the speech competition was “Building Climate Change Resilience in Tonga with GCCA:PSIS Project” held at the Saint Padua Conference Centre on the evening of June 3, with the prizewinners announced on June 6.

Aline won first place with a cash prize of $500 Pa’anga while Palu took second place with a cash prize of $300 Pa’anga. Sulieti Tau’ataina from Liahona High School took third place with a cash prize of $100.

First prize ($500) of the Open category of the competition went to Carrie Vaea from the University of the South Pacific Tonga; second prize ($300) went to ‘Ofa Tafa of Lapaha; and third prize ($100) went to 2013 Miss Heilala Rosemarie Fili.

The coordinator of the event Manu Manuofetoa was pleased with the turnout. “We were expecting 10 contestants, at least five from each category but we received almost 20 applications and the turnout was very encouraging”.

The winners received their prizes from the Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano.

The event was sponsored by  the European Union SPC Global Climate Change Alliance, Semisi Sika, and the New Zealand High Commission, and organised by the MLECCNR to commemorate World Environment Day.