Take The Lead

20/08/2026

Today, we were delighted to host Australia’s Gender Equality Ambassador, Her Excellency Ms Michelle O’Byrne, for an open and honest talanoa on all things women in leadership.

We’re deeply grateful to Her Excellency for sharing so openly and candidly about her political leadership journey, her experiences, and the lessons she has gathered along the way. We’re equally grateful to the young female leaders who joined our talanoa and contributed meaningfully, thoughtfully, and with intention.

Today’s talanoa marked our first She Leads Fale Alea event for the year, and we were honoured to welcome the Minister for MIA – Women and Youth, Hon. Fane Fituafe, who joined us for this important conversation. The session was facilitated by TTL Founding CEO, Elizabeth V. Kite.

TTL’s Exclusive Leaders Talanoas bring together young leaders across Tonga with distinguished leaders from Tonga and around the world, creating spaces for honest conversations, connection, learning, and inspiration.

Last month, we had the honour of hosting Tetris creator and entrepreneur Mr Henk Rogers, and today, we were privileged to welcome Her Excellency Ms Michelle O’Byrne 🇹🇴🤝🇦🇺

And there is so much more to come. 🌺

If you’re a young leader in Tonga and would like to be part of future talanoas, we’d love to hear from you.

📧 [email protected]

19/08/2026

19/08/2026

Take The Lead Opens New Office and Launches Social Impact Incubation Hub Programme

Nuku’alofa, Tonga - 17 August 2026 — Take The Lead Tonga today officially opened its new office and launched the Take The Lead Social Impact Incubation Hub, a new initiative designed to support young leaders and social impact entrepreneurs across Tonga.

The opening was officiated by Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua, Guest of Honour and a longstanding supporter of Take The Lead and advocate for youth leadership in Tonga.

The launch takes place during International Youth Month, providing a fitting opportunity to celebrate Tonga’s young people and recognise the importance of creating meaningful pathways for them to lead, innovate and contribute to their communities.

The Social Impact Incubation Hub is a first for Tonga, providing young people with a dedicated platform to develop ideas, access mentorship and support, connect with leaders and partners, and explore pathways to turn their ideas into meaningful social impact.

The project is supported through funding from the Australian High Commission, whose partnership has helped establish the new space and the Hub.

Founder and CEO of Take The Lead, Elizabeth V. Kite, said she was proud to see the organisation enter this next chapter.

“I am incredibly proud of what this new space and the Social Impact Incubation Hub will offer young leaders and social impact entrepreneurs in Tonga. We want this to be a place where young people can bring forward their ideas, find the support and connections they need, and have the opportunity to turn those ideas into something meaningful for their communities and our country.”

The opening marks a new chapter for Take The Lead, which was founded in 2017 with a mission to educate, equip and empower future Tongan leaders today.

ENDS

18/08/2026

18/08/2026

Opening of TTL Office and Social Impact Incubation Hub 🇹🇴

16/08/2026

A Proud Moment for Tonga 🇹🇴

Congratulations to our new Minister of Finance, Hon. Mrs Vika Sivoki Lavemauu. 👏

Her appointment marks a significant moment for Tonga. With only two female Ministers in Cabinet and Parliament, having a woman take on one of the country’s most important portfolios is something worth recognising. Even more notably, Hon. Lavemauu becomes the youngest person to hold the position.

What makes this appointment particularly meaningful is the experience she brings to the role. Having spent years serving within the Ministry of Finance, including in the position of Deputy CEO, she comes into this role with a strong understanding of the Ministry, its responsibilities and the demands of managing the nation’s finances.

Appointments to positions of this magnitude will naturally attract discussion and differing opinions. That is part of public life. However, it is equally important that we allow people the opportunity to demonstrate their capability and leadership before making conclusions about what they may or may not achieve.

Hon. Lavemauu has built her career within the very institution she now leads, and her appointment reflects the confidence placed in her by the Government and His Majesty.

May she be given the support, space and opportunity to serve our country well.

Congratulations, Hon. Minister Lavemauu. Wishing you every success as you take on this significant responsibility for Tonga. 🇹🇴👏

28/07/2026

“Take The Lead Tonga Joins Global Blue Planet Alliance to Advance Climate Leadership Across the Pacific.”

Nuku'alofa, Tonga - Take The Lead Tonga has taken a significant step in strengthening Pacific climateleadership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Blue Planet Alliance, officially becoming a member of the global alliance committed to achieving 100% renewable energy by
2045.

The agreement was signed by Founder and CEO of Take The Lead Tonga, Elizabeth V . Kite, and Founder
and CEO of Blue Planet Alliance, Mr Henk Rogers - visionary entrepreneur, founder of Tetris, and
internationally recognised advocate for climate solutions.

Headquartered in New York, Blue Planet Alliance is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation established in 2020 to empower islands, states, and nations to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2045, advancing a future where humanity and nature thrive together.

The partnership marks a new chapter for Take The Lead Tonga, strengthening its work to equip emerging
Pacific leaders with the knowledge, networks, and opportunities needed to respond to one of the greatest challenges facing the region - climate change.

"This partnership reflects our shared belief that the Pacific must not only be represented in global climate
conversations, but lead them," said Elizabeth V . Kite.
"Through Blue Planet Alliance, our young leaders will gain greater access to international expertise, partnerships, and opportunities to help shape the future of renewable energy and climate action across our region.”

Following the signing ceremony, Take The Lead Tonga hosted its first TTL Leaders Talanoa for the year with Mr Rogers under the theme, “Game Changers: Building a Sustainable Blue Pacific One Piece at a Time."

The exclusive dialogue brought together emerging Tongan climate leaders alongside the Take The Lead Oceania–Arctic Alliance Climate Leaders Cohort, virtually representing 10 Pacific Island countries,
to discuss climate leadership, innovation, and the importance of creating lasting impact through
collaboration and bold thinking.

The Talanoa forms part of Take The Lead Tonga's Leadership Dialogue Series, an initiative designed to
bridge emerging Pacific leaders with distinguished international leaders, creating space for meaningful
conversations, knowledge exchange, and collaborative solutions to global challenges.

The occasion also recognised Mr ‘Isitolo Siale, who was nominated by Take The Lead Tonga to serve as a
Blue Planet Alliance Global Youth Ambassador. Mr Rogers formally acknowledged the nomination, recognising the important role young Pacific leaders play in advancing climate action and renewable
energy advocacy within their communities and beyond.

As an official member of Blue Planet Alliance, Take The Lead Tonga looks forward to expanding opportunities for Pacific youth, strengthening regional climate leadership, and contributing to the global movement towards a cleaner, more resilient, and sustainable future.

ENDS

10/06/2026

In today’s Parliament Budget deliberations, People’s Representative for Tongatapu 5 and Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts, Hon. Dr. Aisake Eke proposed removing funding for the school breakfast program, $1 million for youth initiatives under the Prime Minister’s Office, $1 million to combat illicit drugs, and $11 million in overtime funding, including approximately $8 million for doctors and nurses. These are among the most vulnerable groups in our society - children in need of basic nutrition to learn, young people needing opportunity and direction, communities facing the impacts of drugs, and frontline health workers already stretched to serve the nation.

These proposals raise a fundamental question: why are those most in need and those who serve them being asked to carry the burden of cuts by Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts?

School breakfast funding is not a luxury. For many children in hardship, it is the difference between being ready to learn or being left behind. Evidence consistently shows that well-nourished children perform better academically and have improved attendance. Removing this support risks making a child’s education dependent on household income rather than equal opportunity.

The proposed removal of youth funding and anti-drug initiatives is equally concerning, particularly at a time when prevention and early intervention are more cost-effective than addressing long-term social harm.

Most concerning is the proposed cut to overtime funding, including support for doctors and nurses who keep our health system running 24/7. These are the people who respond when others cannot, working nights, weekends, and holidays to care for our people.

Budgets are a clear statement of national priorities. In this case, it is difficult to understand why children, young people, vulnerable communities, and frontline workers have been placed at the bottom of those priorities by the Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts.

In a nation grounded in faith and service, these proposals by Hon. Dr Aisake Eke raise serious questions about whether they reflect the values of fairness, shared responsibility, and compassion that we expect from those who lead us.

23/01/2026

| Say it how? Say it LOUD!!!

Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.

UN Women is calling on Pacific creatives across the region to share, through poetry, spoken word, or song, what fairness, dignity, safety, freedom, and opportunity for women and girls actually look like in their lives.

TWO CATEGORIES:
🎶 Song
🎤 Spoken word/Poem

AMAZING PRIZES TO WIN- Check the flyer for details. We're grateful to Vodafone Fiji for their support in arranging these prizes.

🗓 Submission deadline: Friday, 20 February 2026
📩 How to submit: Online form (preferred): https://bit.ly/3LW1PPz
| Email: [email protected]
| Facebook Messenger

🔗 More info + submission guidance: https://bit.ly/SayitlouduNW



UN Women Asia and the Pacific | UN Multi Country Office in Micronesia | UN in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu & Vanuatu | UN in Samoa

16/12/2025

Warm congratulations to Lord Fakafanua, former Lord Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, on his nomination as Prime Minister-designate.

He has long been a champion of efforts to strengthen Tonga’s democracy, consistently supporting programmes that amplify the voices of Tonga’s most vulnerable groups within the nation’s highest decision-making body - youth, women, and people living with disabilities. This includes his support for the She Leads Fale Alea programme, which we have delivered since 2018.

We look forward to these important efforts being further advanced under his leadership in this new capacity.