Tuvaluan Nurse, Temasi Kitara, will be helping to vaccinate people at the vaccination event today.

“I’m feeling very optimistic and excited. This is an opportunity for us to work together and unite to vaccinate our communities.”

She encourages people to come through and emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated.

“We need to protect our communities and our families. We’re vulnerable to Covid and the vaccination will help protect us from the virus,” she says.

Matt Ineleo, a community leader for the Auckland Tokelau Society Inc, hopes the vaccination drive will reassure the Tokelau community that they are in safe hands.

“As a Tokelau community, we’re used to doing things together. We felt a vaccination drive for our community would encourage our people to feel more comfortable in coming along, knowing their other brothers and sisters are here doing it on the same day too.

There will be qualified people and professionals with experience present, that they can trust to answer any questions of concern they may have.”

He says the coming together of the three communities to vaccinate their people is a reflection of the “Pasifika way”.

“We unite together in the fight against anything. As Pasifika people, we always stand up together, we face our challenges together and we always make sure that we look after each other.”

Kiribati community leader, Kinaua Ewels, echoes his view and says it is imperative that there is unity in the fight against Covid-19.

“We’re working together with other cultures to fight against Covid-19. We want New Zealand to be Covid free so we can run our own activities normally.

Us Pacific Islanders love gathering together in the community to share stories, with fun and laughter as our normal everyday life.”

She says getting vaccinated will be a protection from the virus and will help us stay out of lockdown.

“We do not want our children to suffer and want them to receive better education in the classroom, but also for people to continue their jobs and earn money for their needs.”

The Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati vaccination drive is running From Wednesday 29th to Thursday 30 September at 40 Kirrie Avenue, Te Atatu South, from 8:30am – 4:30pm.

#pmafamily #pmaunite

Date: Thursday 30 September 2021