“O le tele o sulu e maua ai figota, e mama se avega pe a ta amo fa’atasi. My strength does not come from me but from many.”
This is what students Mercedes and Raisa said after performing for their fellow students for Samoan Language Week.
Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa is a time to embrace culture for our Samoan students, who currently make up 6% of NZSE’s student body – one and a half times the percentage of Samoans in Aoteroa. Gagana Samoa is New Zealand’s third most spoken language, and 84% of Samoans find language to be one of the most important parts of their culture.
The theme for the 2023 Samoa Language Week is Mitamita i lau gagana, maua’a lou fa’asinomaga. This translates to Be proud of your language and grounded in your identity, and this year we’re providing spaces for our students to embrace their culture and share it with their peers. We are letting them share more than just their language.
Cultural dance has been the favourite part of this celebration across our campuses. Students volunteered to perform traditional dances. They performed the Siva at New Lynn on Tuesday and at Manukau on Friday to lively audiences.
Faafetai lava mo le kou fesosoagi mai. Thank you to everyone involved in bringing Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa to life at NZSE College.
