She is a Professional Practice Fellow, Centre for Pacific Health at the University of Otago and the Lead COVID-19 Navigator for the Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group, and will be submitting her thesis in a couple of weeks.

“My PhD study is now complete; I am looking at the ways in which Tuvaluans approach their health and wellbeing and how living in rural Otago impacts the ways in which they interact with the healthcare system at a primary and tertiary level.”

Tafaaki says the Tuvaluan language was a central part of her studies and it was important that it was integrated throughout the research process.

“The reflective interviews that were held with the Tuvaluan participants in this study were always conducted in a combination of English and Tuvaluan. Whenever I had a question about language and was unsure, I always deferred to the wonderful Tuvaluan community members who served as advisors to this project, and they would help translate or explain things I did not understand. 

I am proud to say that the results of my projects include Tuvaluan language as it was used by the project participants. It was important to me that the Tuvaluan language was preserved as an important aspect of this study.”

She is a proud Tuvaluan and is grateful to be amongst the community in New Zealand.

“Being in Aotearoa New Zealand, amongst my Tuvaluan family and community has offered my family and I a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with both language and culture.

It’s easy to lose track of our culture and language as we get caught up in the business of everyday living. This is why maintaining and celebrating our language and culture is so important because we can easily lose it in a few short generations. 

The Tuvaluan language and culture are rich and beautiful so keeping them alive will also help us to maintain our identity as we also move forward in every other opportunity we have in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

Date: Saturday 1 October 2022

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