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Oamaru’s Fiefia celebration is now so big it has had to move to a larger venue.
The 13th iteration of the annual event, which celebrates Pasifika culture, took place at the Network Waitaki Event Centre this year.
Large crowds of family and friends gathered last Thursday evening to see pupils from nine local schools take part.
Fiefia is organised by Fenwick school teacher Shannon Moore, the chairwoman of the North Otago Pasifika Cluster, a team of teachers who “care deeply” about Pasifika pupils in North Otago.
“This is the first time we have had it at the event centre,” she said.
“The rec centre was an amazing venue for the first 12 Fiefia, but we had found that our event had gotten too big to fit there.
“So it was nice to not worry about numbers at the new venue.”
The team at the event centre, which recently surpassed 60,000 visitors, made organising and hosting the event a “dream”.
The North Otago Pasifika Cluster was “very lucky” to be working in partnership with the Oamaru Pacific Island Trust, she said.
“We share the same goals for our Pasifika pupils and will work together to achieve these.”
The Cluster meets once a term to discuss the best way to support pupils and students, including improving literacy for those from the Pacific Islands.
It includes reps from Fenwick, Te Pākihi o Maru, Pembroke, Weston, St Joseph’s, Oamaru Intermediate School, Waitaki Girls’ High School, Waitaki Boys’ High School and St Kevin’s College.
At the event, each school acknowledged two pupils from the Pacific Islands who were presented with an award from their principal.
charley-kai.john@alliedmedia.co.nz