South Pacific Division secretary Pastor Mike Sikuri is featuring in a New Zealand public awareness campaign promoting COVID-19 vaccination.
Pastor Sikuri is among a number of Pasifika leaders featured in posters and billboards in the “Covid Champions” campaign that’s being run by the Tangata Atumotu Trust, a non-government organisation supporting Pasifika communities. The campaign is aimed at encouraging Pacific peoples to consider vaccination as a way of protecting their communities.
“Our Pasifika folk are one of the high-risk groups for contracting and becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, so the Tangata Atumotu Trust asked a few of us to get involved so we’re leading by example,” said Pastor Sikuri.
He was the first “Covid Champion” to roll up his sleeves for vaccination, receiving his first dose at the Etu Pasifika Clinic in Christchurch on June 1.
Pastor Sikuri is also featured on the Tangata Atumotu Trust’s website, sharing his view on the importance of vaccination. He says while we all have free will, the choices we make can have an impact on our community and those around us.
“We are interdependent of one another and that calls for us to be responsible . . . what we do affects other people as well. Because it’s viral makes it much more transmissible.
“A simple way to do our part and get through this together is to get vaccinated. We are fortunate to live in a country where there is a lot of support and help on vaccinations.”
