Pacific Women's programme strengthens Tongan management skills [1]
Monday, August 29, 2016 - 18:10. Updated on Monday, August 29, 2016 - 18:45.
Fifteen participants completed a five-day Management Accounting for NGOs (MANGO) Training for non-finance managers and finance officers on Friday, 26 August in Nuku’alofa.
The training carried out by an Australian Government funded Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development (Pacific Women) program and UN Women aimed to help Tonga recipients receive good financial management systems, manage and control financial resources.
Fuiva Kavaliku, the Coordinator of Tonga’s National Centre for Women and Children said understanding and putting in place prudent financial procedures is everyone’s responsibility.
“As a coordinator and a non-finance person, the training was an eye opener. It is important to understand the finer finance aspects. When an organization is negotiating funding with donors and partners, it is not just the finance management and staff’s responsibility but mine also as it comes back to me to report on the project.”
Melenaite Blake, a Project Officer with Ma’a Fafine mo e Famili, said the training helped her identify areas of work in the organization that needed more attention.
"I also enjoyed the information sharing and in my role I learnt a lot about finance and now have a better understanding of donor guidelines for civil society," she said.
Pacific Women, UN Women and Pacific Leadership Program (PLP) jointly funded the training held at the PLP office at the OE Building.
Roshni Chand, PLP Finance and Operations Manager and Shradha Sharma a Finance and Administration Officer both Mango certified trainers, delivered the program with the assistance from Cynthia Ramirez, a Finance and Administration Manager for the Pacific Women's Support Unit.
Participants included reprentatives from the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children, Talitha Project, Tonga Women and Children Crisis Centre, Ma'a Fafine mo e Famili, Ministry of Internal Affairs (Women Affairs Division) with other PLP partners from True Tonga Incorporated, Tonga National Youth Council, Naunau ‘o e ‘Alamaite Tonga Association (NATA) and the National Disabled Person’s Organisation of Tonga.