Our ‘Bula’ community celebrates Fijian Language Week

Ni sa bula vinaka kece sara (Greetings everyone)! We have an active group of Fijian kaimahi known as the “Bula Community” who are leading this week’s Fijian Language Week celebrations at Unitec.

Macawa ni Vosa vakaViti – Fijian Language Week is being celebrated across Aotearoa from 5 – 11 October 2025, and is one of the twelve Pacific Language Weeks supported by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

The 2025 theme for Fijian Language Week is ‘Na noqu vosa me na tekivu mai vale – My language starts at home’.

Bula Community Coordinator and Subject Librarian (Pacific), Sana Saleem, says the theme relates to her own upbringing in Fiji where she hails from the villages of Saunaka and Sabeto, Nadi.

“As a fluent speaker of vosa vakaviti (Fijian Language), I learned the Bauan dialect spoken at my Dad’s village and at home too. I was introduced to the written language when I joined class 1 at Namaka Public School.”

“My bubu (paternal grandmother) was very strict. We only spoke our native language in our village as a way of talanoa (talking). She was a huge influence in my upbringing, and her guidance is a blessing for us to be connected to our culture and identity.”

Sana’s advice to our ākonga was to view culture and language as a source of strength, which she demonstrated with a proverb:

“Let it guide your values, resilience and sense of purpose.”

“Lutu na niu, lutu ki vuna” (a coconut falls close to its roots). This proverb reminds us of the values and teachings we received from our parents while growing up in Fiji.

“Kerekere, let’s work together to help nurture and sustain our native language for the current and the future generation of Fijians born in Aotearoa.”

The Bula Community extends a warm welcome to the Unitec whānau to attend two events lined up for Macawa ni Vosa vakaViti – Fijian Language Week:

Activity: How to make Fijian Waite dessert (cracker biscuits in coconut milk)
Tuesday, 7 October 2025, 12-1pm
The Pod, across from AskMe Desk, Te Puna
Ingredients will be provided
Official Ceremony to celebrate Macawa ni Vosa vakaViti – Fijian Language Week
Wednesday, 8 October 2025, 12-1pm
Events Kitchen in Te Puna, B180
All staff please wear bula kalavata if you have one. Please bring a plate to share.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT FIJI

Fiji is officially known as the Republic of Fiji and is a part of the Melanesia group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
Fiji lies about 1,100 nautical miles (2,000 km; 1,300 mi) north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about 110 are permanently inhabited.
The number of people identifying as having Fijian ethnicity in New Zealand, according to the NZ Census in 2023 is 25,038 (Stats NZ).
The population of Fiji is around 928,784 (2024).
This population is mostly made up of native Fijians (54.3%), who are Melanesians, although many also have Polynesian ancestry; and Indo-Fijians (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract labourers brought to the islands by the British colonial powers in the 19th century.
About 87% of the total population live on the two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
About three-quarters of Fiji’s population live on Viti Levu’s coasts, either in the capital city of Suva, or in smaller urban centres such as Nadi (where tourism is the major local industry) or Lautoka (where the sugar-cane industry is dominant).
Fiji operated as a Crown colony until 1970, when it gained independence and became known as the Dominion of Fiji.
In 1987, following a series of coups d’état, the military government that had taken power declared it a republic.
Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific through its abundant forest, mineral, and fish resources.
The main sources of foreign exchange are the tourist industry, remittances from Fijians working abroad, bottled water exports, and sugar cane.