"We wanted to make the Ara Covid Drive a place where i-Kiribati people felt they they belonged."
Like many in diaspora communities, i-Kiribati youth are proud of their culture, heritage and language: both as a means of survival and a strong sense of belonging, especially given the global climate impact in Kiribati.
Buua Redfern and Tatika Leon Tione (Leon) are two i-Kiribati youth who are community champions for the i-Kiribati community in Aotearoa.
Growing up in New Zealand gave Buua and Leon a strong sense of purpose. Buua is a law student (at the University of Auckland) while Leon is a business student at Auckland University of Technology. The twenty-year olds both work part time and are committed to the ‘koha-led’ community work of Ara M’aneaba, the i-Kiribati community and other united Pacific efforts.
Ara M’aneaba is a nationwide collective of 30 i-Kiribati youth leaders stretching from Invercargill, Wellington and Hastings to Hamilton, Auckland and Whāngarei. As a collective, the i-Kiribati youth have worked together for some time, but in September this year, they formalised their collective strength by establishing Ara M’aneaba.
The term Ara M’aneaba refers to a Kiribati style fale (house) as a place of familiarity, belonging and a cultural and holistic anchoring of ‘home’. This cultural anchoring can help amplify a conscious and active generation of i-Kiribati youth to lead positive change, not just for their communities, but Pacific peoples at all levels of influence.
Space to thrive and lead
Ara M’aneaba came about through the work of Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu at The Cause Collective and their new social platform Champions of Change. There was a natural fit between the i-Kiribati youth and Champions of Change, which aims to empower ethnic specific Pacific families and community wellbeing.
The challenges that minority Pacific communities face are well known in this space. By helping Ara M’aneaba to grow and thrive, it’s hoped that the i-Kiribati community in Tāmaki Makaurau will lead positive and uplifting change in a way that works for them.
One way this was demonstrated was through the successful i-Kiribati Youth vaccination drive in October – their first ever event. With the backbone support of Nga Vaka and The Cause Collective, Ara M’aneaba opened a Covid-19 vaccination pop up for i-Kiribati youth at the Scorpions Rugby League Club, at Ngati Ōtara Park in Ōtara.
“When the opportunity arose to host a vaccination event, we were initially unsure whether to do it as we didn’t think it was possible,” says Buua. “It’s crazy to think we organised and planned an event within a few weeks.”
“I’m pretty shocked we managed to vaccinate just over 60 i-Kiribati people which is great, and we had 48 vaccinations within two hours (our target was 50 for the day). It was awesome vibes, people were happy and they even danced in their vehicles.”
“We wanted to make the Ara Covid Drive a place where i-Kiribati people felt they they belonged,” says Leon. “We had Kiribati flags, decorations and music to make people feel welcome and safe to get a vaccination.”
Because of the small i-Kiribati population in New Zealand, data insights provided by health authorities show that i-Kiribati people are more often categorised as ‘other Pacific’. This meant that planning for the Otara vaccination event was done without clarity on the i-Kiribati vaccination uptake. Instead, it was heavily dependent on the youth insights and connections to their youth and community.
Buua, Leon and the Ara M’aneaba team want to change this approach and offer all minority communities a relevant and safe space to mobilise their communities alongside their larger population based Pacific whānau.
The Ara Covid Drive was organised with just three weeks planning and supported by a small community of sponsors. Through the work of The Cause Collective, Ara M’aneaba was able to fill the gaps at short notice. They were also empowered to thrive with trusted and strong supporters advocating and guiding them through the processes.
“The whole event planning experience exposed us to more connections and networks within our Pacific community,” says Leon. “It also really emphasised that with community support, anything is possible as they can help you to deliver your event in a fast timeframe.”
Buua and Leon are excited about the future of Ara M’aneaba and encourage other i-Kiribati young people (17 – 24 years of age) to join.
“Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see what we do,” says Buua. “If you have a passion to see our community thrive, it’s important to join other young people to collectively serve our community.”
Ara M’aneaba would like to say – Ko Raba (thank you) to the following organisations for their support and sponsorship of the Ara Covid Drive: The Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board, Otara Scorpions Rugby League, Prepare Pacific, DGFG, New Zealand Kiribati National Council, and a collective of Kiribati- led businesses and entrepreneurs.
"If you have a passion to see our community thrive, it’s important to join other young people to collectively serve our community."