Earning a living starts with learning new skills [1]
Tuesday, August 28, 2018 - 21:12. Updated on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 - 21:29.
Fifteen women and men showcased various textile and tapa printing designs after undergoing skills training at Kolonga, aimed to help people on the eastern district develop skills to earn a living.
The training on Financial Literacy and Tapa Printing was held for a week organized by a Women’s Economic Empowerment Foundation of the eastern district and funded by Tonga Skills, an Australian funded initiative.
Vika Fusimalohi, the foundation's President and trainer on Financial Literacy said their development trainings aimed to empower not only their youths but the people in their district on how to run small businesses with new skills learned like tapa and textile printing.
She said previously they had training on sewing and it was for the same purpose and was open to anyone who wanted to learn.
Participants showcased painted designs on t-shirts, tupenu, shirts, curtains, pillow cases, tapa cloths among others, and were trained by Tevita Pola'apau.
Tevita said workshop participants need to be willing to learn something new and, most importantly, apply what they learn to earn a living.
The participants who were from eight villages in the district will also showcase and sell their products at a WISE (Women in Sustainable Enterprises) night market to be held at the BSP car park in central Nuku'alofa, on Friday, August 31.
Certificates were awarded to participants for completing the training on August 28, at the Catholic Church Hall in Kolonga.