Four Tongan public servants are in Japan on scholarships this month, organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as part of the Pacific Leader’s Educational Assistance for Development of State (Pacific-LEADS Program), funded by the Japan Government.

JAICA has provided scholarships to Malia Hola - assistant secretary PMO; Tracy Aisea - Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Fisheries; Tilisa Tohi - MAFF and Saimone Manu - MAFF.

Japan’s Ambassador to Tonga, HE Yukio Numata congratulated the four Tongans for taking part in the program.

President of JICA Alumni Association, Vainga Palu, urged the participants to study hard and be good young ambassadors on behalf of the people of Tonga.

Young leaders

The Pacific-LEADS Program is aimed at fostering young leaders expected to play a vital role towards resolving development challenges in Pacific Island countries.

As part of the program, each student proposes research topics that are expected to contribute to solve the development agendas of Pacific Island countries such as Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Environment, Sustainable Development, Oceans, Maritime issues, Fisheries, Trade, Investment, Tourism, and Economic Policy.

Tilisa Tohi, a Food Auditor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Forestry, said that after she completes her Masters Degree, she will “help improve the current Food Safety and Quality in Tonga”.

Tracy Aisea, Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Fisheries would like to “help Tonga develop its small scale aquaculture farming into a commercial scale of production”.

Saimone Manu, Assistant Research Scientist, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Forestry is keen to learn the latest in advanced science in the fields of biological control and biological insecticides for crop protection.

The four participants left Tonga on 14 August to Japan and will study there until March 2020.