Academics get tropical welcome
A welcoming tropical blast of culture greeted international academics visiting a bilingual Samoan early childhood centre.
The small group of Indonesian academics travelled to Massey University in Palmerston North to learn more about Kiwi teaching, and called in at Malamalama Moni Aoga Amata on Wednesday.
Last year, the early childhood education centre was a finalist in the leadership category of the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards.
The visit was a chance to celebrate, and provided special opportunities for the children’s learning, teacher Eseta Samuelu said.
During school holidays the Sei Aute holiday programme is also run from the centre, and older children performed key roles in a traditional ‘ava ceremony for the visitors.
‘‘When we have chiefs come together to have a connection and whenever when we have visitors, we have an ‘ava ceremony,’’ she said.
The older children helped the adults mix the ‘ava drink, offer customary calls and prayers and serve it. The Sei Aute children also joined the younger children to perform Samoan siva (dances) and songs.
‘‘It’s good to be able to show them the culture and how we come together to share the language. It’s valuable because it [strengthens] our culture and adds identity, we grow here,’’ Samuela said.
The Indonesian visitors joined in the dancing, responding with their own Samoan-style dance, led by Auckland academic Sala Faasaulala Tagoilelagi-leota, who was accompanying them.
The group are representatives from an education development project in the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur, backed by UNICEF and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Massey staff are contributing technical education advice, and the group has also visited Massey Child Care Centre.