Tāfesilafa’i: Reclaiming wellbeing through Samoan indigenous practices in Aoga Amata
Tāfesilafa’i is a collective supporting Samoan early learning centres (Aoga Amata) to connect, share knowledge, and strengthen culturally grounded practice. Since 2020, it has created space for faiaoga and aiga to build confidence in weaving Samoan values into education, revitalising cultural approaches while aligning with national priorities for Pacific education.
Tāfesilafa’i is a community of care which has created a space for Aoga Amata (Samoan ECEs) to come together, connect, share and grow confidence in weaving Samoan cultural values, practices and beliefs into educational practice. The project was initiated in 2020 and has operated with the support of the Healthy Families Waitākere since its inception.
Tāfesilafa’i has been effective in revitalising culturally centric values and practices for faiaoga (teachers) and aiga (families) whilst also aligning with the Action Plan for Pacific Education (APPE) focus areas for change.
Tāfesilafa’i has provided the following outcomes for Aoga Amata:
- Provides a space for faiaoga to create and share culturally centric educational resources, which is critical in enabling these unique learning environments to thrive
- The culturally centred professional learning and development largely contributed to the positive outcomes
- Established and strengthened relationships to enhance the early learning environment for the benefit of faiaoga and aiga
The strength of Tāfesilafa’i comes from its members. We understand it to be the first collective of its kind in Aotearoa and is carving a new path for language nests to be considered on the same level as western frameworks of early learning.
Read more in the presentation shared at the 2022 Uplifting Mana Hui