Alumni of the Community Education Training Centre, Nuku'alofa, 27 September 2013.

Tongan women alumni of the Community Education Training Centre last week celebrated the 50th Golden Anniversary of a service that has helped to develop the skills of many Pacific Islands women.

CETC is run by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) based in Fiji. 

Lord Vaea, Tonga's Minister for Internal Affairs at a function held at the International Dateline Hotel on September 27, said the 144 Tongan women has taken part in training at the centre.

He said over time, the programs of the CETC had moved in line with the changing roles of women over five decades in the home and in the community from sewing, cooking, gardening to business management, community radio broadcasting, fabrics art and crafts, to name a few.

Dr Lia Maka the CETC principal said between 1963-2013 the centre trained more than 1,700 Pacific women in community development and related skills from 20 Pacific islands and territories.

“Many of them are renown in their own communities and countries for their dedicated service to building families, organizations, and communities. This is the final year CETC operates as a program of SPC, as in 2014 it would be part of the University of the South Pacific with its vocational units offered in their centre,” she said.

Two Tongan women who are currently studying at the centre are expected to finish their short-term training this October.

Lord Fakafanua the Speaker of the Tonga Parliament, Lady Tuna Fielakepa, members of the diplomatic corps joined the Tonga alumni for the celebration.