The Fiji Museum hosted two colleagues from the Culture Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Tonga.
Ms. Senolita Fonokalafi, the Senior Cultural Programme Officer and Ms. Milika Pomana who is responsible for the revamping of the Tonga National Museum are recipients of the South-South Exchange Program (NZ funded) and organized by the Pacific Community (SPC) in Suva.
The purpose of the exchange program was to inundate our two Tongan colleagues on systems and mechanisms of operating a museum which will aid them in setting up the inactive Tongan Museum.
During the exchange the two Tongans got to understudy and learn basics of museum works with the different Departments at the Fiji Museum which culminated in a final presentation by the two individuals to the Fiji Museum Director and staff on lessons learnt and recommendations for the Fiji Museum.
A very practical experience indeed for both Fiji Museum staff and the two Tongans.
Photo by Fiji Museum. Caption: Milika Pomana, left and Senolita Fonokalafi, browsing through 19th Century images from Tonga stored in the museum archive.