'Ofa Tu'ikolovatu, President WISE Tonga Inc. 2013.

'Ofa Tu'ikolovatu, co-owner of Gio Recycling, was elected as President of the Women in Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) Tonga Inc. at its second Annual General Meeting at Molitoni Hall in Nuku'alofa, on Wednesday 3 April. She replaces the Founding President Robina Nakao who retired from the office.

'Ofa, a 48-year-old mother of four, recently completed a Masters in Business program at the University of the South Pacific Tonga campus and will graduate in May this year. She plans to continue studying for a doctorate in solid waste management.

The new Vice President is Maria Tonga of Tui International, who served on the executive board in 2012.

Other executive members of the new board for 2013-14 are: Treasurer, Christine 'Uta'atu of 'Uta'atu & Associates; Assistant Treasurer, Kathy Burenivalu of Fexo (Tonga) Ltd.; Assistant Secretary Christine Egan of Blue Banana Retail; Informal Sector Representative, Ane Fonolahi; and Technical Advisor Media and Communications, Cassandra Moala Mafi of Events and Promotions. A Secretary is to be appointed by the board.

WISE has a network group of over 250 women, including business women, home-based entrepreneurs, village groups and women aspiring to be business owners, who may freely register their contact details at wisetongainc [at] gmail [dot] com. Women from both the formal and informal sectors may become financial members for a small fee and access the organisation's training programmes and other benefits.

Women in Sustainable Enterprises (WISE) Tonga Inc. was conceived in 2010 by the Tongan women attending a workshop on 'Economic Opportunities for Pacific Women in Business', held in Vanuatu with the support of the International Finance Corporation and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

WISE Tonga Inc. was launched in Nuku'alofa on July 23, 2011 with a mission of advancing women's roles in businesses and society by encouraging the development of women in sustainable enterprises. It also provides training and networking while helping women realise their potential to take a leading role in improving the lives of their families.

Maria Tonga, Vice President of WISE Tonga Inc.