The 2025 theme for Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language Week is ‘Lukautim, strongim na kirapim tokples na pasin blo tubuna – Preserve, revitalise and promote our language and culture’.
PNG’s rugged terrain – mountains, rivers, and dense forests – has historically isolated communities from one another, the physical separation enabling small groups to develop their own languages. Humans first arrived in what became New Guinea and Australia, as well as the Bismarck Archipelago, around 42,000 to 45,000 years ago, ample time for some 800 plus languages to evolve and diversify – nearly 12% of the world’s total.
Many Papua New Guineans speak multiple languages, switching between local dialects, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, and English depending on context. Tok Pisin, an English-based creole, is the most widely spoken and serves as a national lingua franca, bridging communication across the country’s many language groups.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the proud but small community of Papua New Guineans number around 1,100. Only 15% of those under 15 speak two or more languages, highlighting the urgent need for language revitalisation efforts. Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language Week helps preserve and promote PNG’s linguistic heritage in NZ.
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland doctoral candidate Deborah Kakis (pictured) from the Statistics Department was honoured to share insights of her Papua New Guinea homeland.
“Tenk iu tumas (thank you very much) for the opportunity to share my story,” she says.
“As a Papua New Guinean, my bond with my country and my people is deeper than mere patriotism. It is a spiritual connection that continually draws one back home and grounds me among my people,” says Kakis (Bonohoi village, Maprik District, East Sepik Province/ Papua New Guinea).
“It is this deep-rooted connection that strengthens my resolve to want to do something for my country.”
She’s investigating the statistical literacy of medical professionals in PNG; in recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on building research capacity of health professionals.
“A critical component of both conducting research and engaging in evidence-based practice is having strong statistical skills. As a mathematics and statistics educator, I want to contribute to my country in this area.
“As an educator, my motivation is to give back to my country by doing what I can to contribute to the developing of Papua New Guinea’s human resource capacity.”
Although her father is a teacher, Kakis says she didn’t go into teaching with the intention to follow his path.
“I grew up naturally drawn to teaching. I taught my siblings growing up, then taught children’s classes at church, tutored younger students, etc. I just felt drawn to it.”
After teaching for more than a decade, she came back to study, focused on her Masters degree and now her doctoral research – there were no plans to continue as an educator.
“Funny thing is this semester I found myself in a Professional Teaching Fellow role, teaching maths and statistics courses for the Tertiary Foundation Certificate Program at the University of Auckland, and I have enjoyed it so much,” she laughs.
“I guess, you could say, the profession chose me.”
Kakis plans to use her doctoral findings and the framework developed from the research to create targeted training modules.
“These will be designed not only for healthcare professionals, but also for professionals in other sectors.”
She says statistical literacy is a critical skill for evidence-based practice across all sectors, but it is especially important in healthcare.
For healthcare professionals in Papua New Guinea, strong statistical literacy means they can confidently interpret and apply findings from published research to support their clinical practice and improve patient care.
