Celebrate Tuvalu Language Week with a Covid-19 jab, says community leader

Friday, 24 September 2021

Covid-19 information about the Delta variant in te gana Tuvalu.

A Tuvaluan leader is urging his community to mark this week’s celebration of their language and culture by taking their eligible family members to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Auckland Tuvaluan Society president Reverend Suamalie Iosefa Naisali, who hails from the island of Nukulaelae in Tuvalu, said he had no idea how many Tuvaluans in New Zealand have received their Pfizer shots.

While he was confident their vaccination rates were good, there was no data from the Ministry of Health to support that, he said.

In recording vaccinations, Tuvaluans are listed under “Other Pacific Islands” with small Pacific nations including Kiribati and Nauru.

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There are close to 5000 Tuvaluans living in New Zealand. (File image)

“Data is very important, but we have no record of how many Tuvaluans are getting vaccinated,” Naisali said.

“We’ve raised that problem with the ministry, but they say they have a certain way of doing things.”

The Ministry of Health said it couldn’t provide data specifically for the Tuvaluan community as the focus has been on a wider, inclusive approach to vaccinate people from many Pacific nations.

Naisali said the only way they’ve managed to track if Tuvaluans are getting vaccinated was through the church and community Fono meetings.

“We know our community is getting vaccinated, but it would be good to have solid data to prove this. Through this we can see if there are any gaps and if we need to do more to keep our people protected.”

There are close to 5000 Tuvaluans living in New Zealand, with more than 60 per cent of them living in the Auckland region.

Naisali said during Tuvalu Language Week celebration, which gets under way on Sunday, he was encouraging the community to listen and read Covid health messages translated in their language on the Ministry of Health’s platforms.

“We’ve been very lucky to have the Tuvaluan language as one of the nine Pacific languages to have Covid messages translated to. Let us make use of it.”

He said Tuvaluans understood the risks of the virus and its impact to their small community, and island home.

First dose vaccination rate on Tuvalu was 100 per cent, and the second dose roll-out was still under way, he said.

“Just like how we fight climate change to keep our home safe, and fight to keep our language alive, we too must do our part in protecting our vulnerable community from Covid-19.

“We need to stand together, like we’ve always done all along. This is a unified approach – and Tuvaluans know what that means.”

The Tuvaluan language is listed as “definitely endangered” on the Unesco List of Endangered Languages, with only about 11,000 speakers in the world.

Naisali said in New Zealand, more than 50 per cent of Tuvaluans speak the language, but the challenge was with the younger generation.

“We need to keep our language because it defines the wellbeing of our community. The Tuvaluan language has been palangilised too much, and we need to protect it at all costs.”

A range of online activities have been organised for the week-long celebration.

Naisali said people should look forward to hearing from older Tuvaluans, “the knowledge holders” who would be sharing their stories.

This year’s theme is Fakaakoigina tou iloga kae tukeli ke magoi mote ataeao which means embracing our culture and a more secure, vibrant future.