The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2022 – 2032 as the
International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032), to draw global attention on the critical status of the world’s indigenous language. In the region, almost a quarter of the world’s 7,000 language is spoken in the Pacific; however there is a growing concern on the reduction of native language speakers, including Fiji.
With this concern, the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, Culture, Heritage & Arts in collaboration with the iTaukei Trust Fund Board developed the iVolavosa App to assist with the safeguarding of the vosavakaviti.
With less than 2% of indigenous language having an online presence, the iVolavosa App aims to be interactive and engaging. It is designed for educational purposes to cater to the needs of language users locally but most importantly the iTaukei diaspora communities and other interested learners.
The iVolavosa App contains a glossary of 25,000-word dictionary, 18,979 audio, headwords, and images. Now, it is available on Google Play Store.