FWC Church schools teams, were among 22 teams awarded seed capital for the Youth in Business Challenge. Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 30 April 2013.

Twenty-two schools in Tonga will participate in the annual “Youth in Business Challenge” to win prizes that include a fully-paid five day trip to New Zealand and a $3000 pa'anga investment.

Groups of students from different schools will set up their own business and compete with each other to see whose business is the most successful from May until September.

The competition organised by the Tonga Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TCCI) with the support of various donors including the United Nations Development Program aims  to encourage youth to pursue a career in business and to teach and assist them in running a business.

The chairman of the Youth in Business Challenge, 2013 Steering Comitee, Paul Fonua said “Tonga continues to face the global issue of youth employment, which is an obstacle in our development towards social and economic prosperity.”

He said that a “lack of basic financial literacy, the lack of confidence in their leadership skills, the fear of failure that leads to wariness of trying a small business, lack of inspiration to dream about owning a business, the inability to maintain savings and the culture of informal money borrowing,” contributed to youth unemployment.

A secondary schools team can win the grand prize of a fully paid five days trip to New Zealand, while the tertiary institutions grand prize is a $3,000 investment into their company and further development of their business.

The schools were awarded their seed capital on April 30 by  TCCI. The seed capital which varies from as small as $800 to as much as $1600 will help the students set up their enterprises.

The participating schools groups include:

Secondary Schools
Liahona High School (Tongatapu), PALOMITA
Tonga High School (Tongatapu), Matematika Fashion Stylists
Queen Salote College (Tongatapu), TLC Baking
St. Joseph’s Community College (Ha’apai), Fo'I'one Kako Handicraft
Beulah Adventist College (Tongatapu), Fresh & Frozen Veggies
Mailefihi Siu'ilikutapu College (Vava'u), Helu Carry Case Enterprise
St. Andrew’s High School (Tongatapu), LEDS Dynamic Hotdogs
Tailulu College (Tongatapu), Packed Lunch
Tupou High School (Tongatapu), Mo'ui'aonga Commemoration Sales
Tonga College ‘Atele (Tongatapu), TIES 80
Tailulu College (Vava'u), Funga Vou Door Mat
Ocean of Light International School (Tongatapu), Switz
'Api Fo'ou College (Tongatapu), Pure Tongan – Natural Skin Lotion
Takuilau College (Tongatapu), East Side Green Snack
Ha'apai High School (Ha'apai), All for U Canteen

Tertiary Schools
Tonga International Academy (TIA), Big Mama’s Ice Cream Company
Montfort Technical Institute, Tofunanga ‘a Mauikisikisi
Tupou Tertiary Institute (TTI), Xtreme Marketing
Tonga Institute of Education (TIOE), Lalanga Finance & Production
St. Joseph's Business College, BAMPOW Shakes
University of the South Pacific (USP), USP Organic Nursery
'Ahopanilolo Catering and Hospitality Institute, Bright of Tonga Candles