New Zealand's Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, said he is pleased to add the Kiribati language to this country's Pacific language weeks programme.
He said the government is strongly committed to growing and supporting the Pacific language weeks, and with $NZ20 million in funding his ministry has been able to include funding support to the Kiribati and Rotuman communities this year.
He said "one of the key tasks of the Pacific Language Unit is to work closely with Pacific communities of Aotearoa to ensure their languages are celebrated, taught and thrives through future generations to come."
The theme for this week's Kiribati Language Week is 'Ribanan te Taetae ni Kiribati e Kateimatoa ara Katei ao Kinakira'; in English it means, 'Nurturing Kiribati language promotes our Cultural Identity and Heritage'.
Aupito said the week is also a call to the Kiribati community, of just over 3,000, to find ways to ensure the Kiribati language thrives in New Zealand and can be passed onto their children.
New Zealand's Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio Photo: Gagana Samoa i Aotearoa