Kiribati communities have begun the celebrations for Tungaru language this week, as Wikin te Taetae ni Kiribati – Kiribati Language Week 2023 gets underway.
The theme for the week is ‘Ribanan, karikirakean ao kateimatoan ara katei ma ara taetae ni Tungaru’ – ‘Nurture, enhance and sustain the Tungaru language and culture.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds says, “Our Language Week Series provides an opportunity for all i-Kiribati people to celebrate the culture, identity and language of the islands.”
3,225 i-Kiribati people who call New Zealand home, 50 percent speak the Tungaru, 20 percent born in NZ speak the language while 24 percent under the age of 15 speak the language.
The government has invested $13.3 million to progress the strategy and ensure Pasifika communities connect, learn and grow their languages.
A highlight of the week will also include celebrations for Kiribati Independence Day on July 12. Kiribati Language Week runs from 9 to 15 July.
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