By Everest Hala

Tongan-born community advocate Ana Tuionuku has been recognised for her service to Pacific communities after being named the 2026 “NSW Local Woman of the Year for Bankstown” in Australia this week.

Originally from the villages of Vaotuʻu and Pea in Tongatapu, Tuionuku now lives in Sydney with her children and grandchildren. She was nominated for the award by Bankstown’s local member, Jihad Dib, and says she is deeply humbled to receive the honour.

“This is the first time a Pacific woman has received this award for Bankstown, and on behalf of all Pacific women in my area, I am most humbled and grateful,” she said.

Tuionuku said the recognition represents more than her personal achievements, describing it as a tribute to Pacific women who have worked tirelessly in their communities for generations.

“I want people to know that this award is for the many women who have toiled before me and the many women who are currently working even harder than me but are not acknowledged,” she said.

She also noted the significance of the recognition for the Tongan and wider Pacific community in Australia.

“For the first time I feel that we are visible here in Australia, because of the acknowledgement. That is what the award means for me,” she said.

For the next year, Tuionuku said she hopes to use her role as Bankstown’s Local Woman of the Year to continue supporting women and assisting those in need within the community.

Community work

Ana Tuionuku is also the founder of the Twinnies Brand, the parent organisation of Twinnies Apparel and Twinnies Publishing. The brand is named after her twin granddaughters and is centred on promoting Pacific culture and supporting community development.

Twinnies Publishing aims to provide Pacific people with opportunities to create and record important literary works, helping preserve culture through written expression.

Meanwhile, the Twinnies Foundation operates as a charitable arm supporting Pacific communities in Australia and across the Pacific.

Among its key initiatives are the This Little Light of Mine Pacific Project, energy assistance programmes, and scholarship support for Pacific students.

Bringing light to remote communities

One of the foundation’s initiatives is the “This Little Light of Mine Pacific Project,” which delivers solar lighting systems to remote homes that lack access to electricity.

In Tonga, the project has already provided solar lighting to more than 20 homes in the villages of Pātangata, Nukunuku and Haʻasini in Tongatapu.

The programme has also expanded beyond Tonga. In Fiji, Twinnies has provided solar lighting to several homes in swamp communities in Suva, while in Papua New Guinea the foundation has installed lighting systems for widows living in off-grid homes.

Tuionuku said renewable energy work remains especially close to her heart, drawing on nearly a decade of experience working alongside the World Bank in the renewable energy sector.

“My heart is in renewable energy projects for Tonga and the Pacific, especially through the This Little Light of Mine project,” she said.

The next focus for the initiative will be assisting the Government Primary School of Matamaka in Vavaʻu, Tonga, which has reached out to the foundation for support.

Support network in Tonga

The foundation has a local team in Tonga, with key members including Dr Ngongo Kioa (governance and management), Tiofilusi Tiueti (financial management and accountability), Siokatame Tupou (legal), with project management led by Elsie Tupou and Ilaisaane Tupou, who also serves as project coordinator.

The foundation established an office in November last year at 16 Railway Road, Nuku'alofa. The office is shared with the MRM Tonga Foundation, which is operated by Tuionuku’s sister, Fina Veukisio.