TALANOA Community Trust
The Talanoa Community Trust is a registered charitable trust in the Kingdom of Tonga, incorporated under section 4 of the charitable trust act, 1993. The trustees are a group of community minded people that care passionately about their local community. The region of Vava'u is in the Northern area of the Kingdom of Tonga has been traditionally under-resourced and often marginalised when it comes to activities for youth.
The Trust has five impact streams:
1. To engage the community in activities such as women empowerment, income earning activities, art, creativity, climate change and environmental studies, music and computer skills.
2. To support people with disabilities with basic needs such as wheelchairs and support systems to enable them to live normal and dignified lives and engage in family activities.
3. To engage the community on the impact of climate change and how it affects their local geography, and what they can do to combat it; to bring an awareness of environmental issues.
4. To work with women on empowerment both financially and socially.
5. To promote an understanding of agricuture and the implimentation of new growing techniques such as permaculture and growing crops that pertain to healthy living.
The Talanoa Community Trust’s mission is to empower the lives of women and youth in Vava'u, in the Kingdom of Tonga; Using a strength based approach towards entrepreneurial endeavours for women. We have a range of mediums such as woman's group facilitating, computer skills development including multi-media, design, and business skills. We create workshops and discussion groups and income earning skills for women and young people to explore career pathways and discuss options that could lead to further education and business opportunities. In our programmes an underlying theme is to nurture and enhance a sense of community, social inclusion, social equity, belonging and an increased sense well-being; to respond to the challenges of climate change and environmental issues and a create sense of purpose and awareness amongst youth.
Charitable Purposes of the Talanoa Trust:
The objects and purposes of the Trust to the extent that they are Charitable. Purposes are as follows:
To facilitate the promotion of activities for community development and women empowerment. In business and crafts, climate change and environmental issues. To generate funds and services for the relief of poverty in Vava'u;
To promote inclusivity, connectedness, participation, and to create an environment where women and youth can come together and learn business skills, cultural activities, computer skills, climate change and environmental issues.
To focus on nurturing career pathways, business opportunities, education and the arts;
To administer the Premises as a venue for women and youth development programs, discussion groups, visual arts and audio arts and to facilitate its function as a meeting place, and in particular administer, and facilitate the use of the premises as a practicing work space for women and community youth center
To assist individuals and Charitable Bodies and Community Organizations to further any Charitable Purpose within the locality of the Vava'u;
To liaise and work with other charitable organizations and groups with a similar mission;
To acknowledge and honor the culture, heritage and customs in the Kingdom of Tonga.
