That is just one of the messages the Dunedin woman newly elected as national president of Pacifica Inc wants to share.
The Rev Alofa Lale visited the Punavai O le Atamai preschool yesterday to share traditional Samoan songs and stories with the children for Samoan Language Week.
It was just one place she would be visiting for the week, Mrs Lale said.
In April, Mrs Lale was elected national president of Pacifica Inc, a non-profit organisation for Pacific Island women across the country.
The organisation had about 350 members — some as young as 12 years old — across 20 branches, Mrs Lale said.
One of the main goals of Pacifica Inc was to provide opportunities to Pacific Island women and help them contribute to New Zealand socially, culturally, economically and politically.
Mrs Lale moved to Dunedin in 2003 with her family and rejoined the organisation in 2017.
She became president of the Dunedin Central branch that year.
The organisation was a way for all Pacific Island women to connect with their heritage and community, she said.
"Many of us were born over here in New Zealand but it’s a way for us to maintain that connection to our island homes."
Although Mrs Lale had been president since April, the transition would not be completed until the end of this month.
So far, her job involved a lot of preparations and meetings over Zoom, she said, but she was looking forward to working more closely with communities around the country.
"I would really like to encourage our women to be proud about their Pacific-ness. It’s one of the things that makes us unique."
It would take her a while to get used to the new role as she had previously helped from behind the scenes, but she was grateful for the chance to inspire women from the front.
She hoped Pacific Island stories being told at preschool could become regular occasions and not just something to do during Samoan Language Week.
