Fono 1
Our Village and our legacy
Participants form a village council. They review the practice of nurturing relationships or the pan-Pacific concept of vā. They become aware of how infant mortality or the death of an infant before its first birthday impacts their community and develop skills to start a conversation in their community about the issue.
Key Elements
- Welcome, Consent Forms, and Roll
- Pre-Assessment
- Introductions
- Project Overview
- Fono Rules
- Cultural Concept Vā
- Video: The Unspoken Truth
- Presentation on Infant Mortality
- Break (Optional)
- Communication Activity
- Fono Assignment
- Post-Questionnaire
Cultural concept vā
Throughout our different island cultures, you will find a strong practice of maintaining and nurturing relationships, especially with members from ones’ kin, church, school, and villages.
This is the pan-Pacific concept of vā. Vā literally means space. It is the space in which we relate and it’s how we interact with each other. It touches every aspect of Pacific Islander life through our relationships with our families and community and is carried on from one generation to the next. Vā is often strongest with kin members and people with genealogical ties.
Tauhi ‛a e vā (Tongan) or tausi le vā (Samoan) is the act of nurturing and developing the vā. When we tauhi vā or tausi vā, we purposefully build, strengthen, and maintain the relationships that connect us to one another.
Video: The unspoken truth
The Unspoken Truth is the first episode in this community education and engagement series. The title refers to the silence that surrounds infant mortality and its impact among Utah’s Pacific Islander communities. It was filmed in Salt Lake County, Utah with the collaboration of local community-based organizations and features local community members.
Presentation: Infant mortality
Learn more about infant mortality among our Pacific Islander community here in Utah.
Communication activity
By using open communication, we will nurture the relationships that connect us to each other. This activity will be a place to begin to help us feel confident about how to talk more openly about infant mortality with our community.
Fono 2: Nourishing the fonua or fanua before pregnancy
Participants discuss Pacific Islanders’ connection to the land and environment or fonua or fanua, which includes the mother’s womb and placenta. They learn about the importance of preconception health (the health of women and men before pregnancy). They gain experience navigating health resources.