From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 2, August 2003.

A Centre for Women and Children that was started by the Catholic Women’s League in Nuku‘alofa, has became a National Project of Tonga, in order to survive and to grow, the CWL Annual General Meeting was told in April.

Members had expressed disappointment over losing control of their centre to a national body. One member, Papa Fifita, said the CWL felt that it was their project and now a governing body had emerged and taken it over.

Isabella Tu‘ivai, CWLPresident, said that the Catholic Women’s League initiated the centre in October 2000, but a new Advisory Board took over its management, following a Government proposal that it had to be made a national project in order to be granted funds.

Kalolaine Fusimalohi, the chairperson of the Advisory Board, and the Director of Central Planning, said that due to the requirements of a Bilateral Agreement between the Government of Tonga and the New Zealand Government for the funding of the centre, it had to be declared a National Project of Tonga, to include different non-government organisations, the churches and government. “Which is why we have the Advisory Board as the governing body, and if we do not comply the donor will simply refuse funds,” she said.

Betty Blake a legal counsellor for the centre, and a member of CWL, said that that this was a process towards survival.

“In order for the centre to develop and continue on to function it must be made a national project. Clearly we would not have been able to afford to continue running the project, but when it involves other bodies, it  gives the centre easier access to opportunities.”

Betty said that before the Centre was established in October of 2000 there was already an Advisory Board. “We made a project proposal inviting other churches, NGOs and government organisations to join us, because we felt that the issues that we would deal with at the centre concern everyone.”

New Zealand aid was initially approved for a period of three years from January 2000 to December 2002, and was further extended until June of this year. The centre was currently being reviewed by New Zealand for further funding.

The Australian Government had allocated $25,000 for the three year funding of Outreach Training Programs only, and will finish this year.

Horrific

During its three years of operation the centre has been handling cases of domestic violence, offering counselling and legal aid for victims, and also their parents, said Sr Malia Simione.

The Centre also informed the teachers of the victims so they could understand the difficult problem that the children faced, particularly in cases of sexual molestation.

“One of the main problems that I see is that instead of the parents sympathising with their child they turn to punish them and even make their child stay from school because of what happened. But we at the centre tell them it was not their child’s fault that this horrific incident took place and they should not be punished for it,” said Sr Malia.

The centre’s legal counsellor also talks with victims about proper measures to take but it remained up to the families to take the matter further unless they wished the centre to pursue it.

Last year the centre received 47 cases, including 12 cases of domestic violence, either verbal, emotional and physical violence, and mostly involving women ranging from 18 to 48 years old.

There were also 12 cases of conflict involving a clash between two parties, mainly females who had trouble with other working peers.

Other cases included three cases of sexual assault, nine cases of relationships, five legal problems and six cases of problems with financial and other support.

Today the centre urgently needs more volunteers, “and a Safeway house as a temporary placement for people that come to us due to domestic violence. Because after the counselling we do not like to tell them to go back home because we have nowhere to place them,” she said.

“The Government has approved to give us a building and Kalolaine is still looking for the appropriate place and setting,” said Sister Malia.