Tuku Ifo - Cultural Transfer

The Atafu Tokelau Porirua Community Inc has been delivering a range of innovative language initiatives that will help revitalize and increase cultural confidence in the number of speakers of Tokelau languages.
The Atafu Tokelau Porirua has been partnering with OMGTech! for the past two years, running STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programmes linked to language revitalisation.

The Tuku Ifo language app gives the very basics in Gagana Tokelau for learners to learn and to grow, including:

- The alphabet.
- Counting.
- Days and months.
- Audio to help you learn the proper pronunciation.

and much more to come in future updates!

The Atafu Tokelau Porirua community living in Aotearoa New Zealand, we are truly grateful for the many opportunities and blessings we participate in. We recognize that our communities still face several challenges that require innovative and collaborative thinking. Our Tokelau language is severely endangered, as the largest Tokelauan population, who now resides in Porirua, we need to take urgent steps to ensure its survival with the growing population here in New Zealand.

This is Atafu Tokelau’s commitment to ensuring our traditional knowledge, values, and our legacy as Tokelau survives; and is transmitted to the current generation to future proof our way of life for the benefit of Tokelau in generations to come. Our reality of living in Aotearoa New Zealand requires us to be open to the new skills, technology, knowledge, experiences, and new ideas to ensure our survival and ongoing contribution to our community in the 21st century.

We need to focus on our young people to assist us to navigate in areas we are not familiar with. Such as the knowledge economy, technology, diverse areas in science, marine biology, business enterprise and the creative industries.

An Island I hold close to my heart
I stand by you and represent you
My dear Atafu
My support and love for you
Will not wither.

Atafu toku nuku pele,
Kua fai koe ma oku mitamitaga,
Ko au e tau mo koe,
E he mamoe foki,
Taku tautua mo koe.

We are proud of the leadership, genuine passion and commitment demonstrated by our elders, matua, aumaga, tupulaga, fanau and servants of God coming together to uplift Tokelau.
Our collective ambition supported through meaningful partnerships with government agencies, private sector organisations and educational institutions, positions us well to not only share our world with them but that they may also benefit from our community in a positive way.

The Atafu Tokelau community is committed to ensuring the traditional knowledge, values, and legacy as Tokelau survives; and is transmitted to the current generation to future proof their way of life for the benefit of Tokelau in generations to come. The reality of living in Aotearoa New Zealand requires us to be open to the new skills, technology, knowledge, experiences and new ideas to ensure the survival and ongoing contribution to their community in the 21st century.