Stories From Kiribati

At Kiebu on Makin, there lived a man called Nang Keneia. The people of Kiebu at that time, occasionally went to Butaritari to attend the dancing festival. After preparing all that was required and needed, people had to wait for the day of the trip.

When the day came, the people got onto the ‘baurua’ (big sailing canoe) which would take them to Butaritari. The canoe went on its first then second trip taking many people there, however Nang Keneia hardly care of the commotion.

(KAITIBON MATARI MA BAKOA)

I mwiin te tai ae aki rangi ni maan, ao akea bwa a manga otirake mai taari n te tabo teuana ike e a mena te aba i etaia. E iabuti te tabo are a otirake iai ao man aki toko waeia, aingaia are a uauarake riki teutana ni kaea eta. Ngke a toko waeia ma aontano ao a nakonako ni karaurau rinanon taian rawarawa ake a mena imwaaia. E rimoa kaain taari ao man taorimwiaki iroun Matari.

Ma ai aki akora bwaai ake a tauraoi ao mani wene n tataninga inanon taian rawar...

(MATARI AO TE TIA TARARUAI ANA MAN BAKOA)

E a manga rangi ni babaa ngkai te akawa i taari teuae Matari - are ai bon temanna bwa te toa ngkai. A bon aki kona n tare n te ika bwa n te bong koraki ao ai te nanako naba n akawa. Ana tabo ae rangi n tatangiria riki n akawa iai bon aon te maran n tain te ora ke nanon te nama ngkana e iabuti. Ngkana e iabuti ao e uanako naba ni bebeibeti n akawa.

Ma iai kaokoron akawan Matari ma are e tataneiai te aba iai. E aki kabongana te ao ke te mat...

(KAOKAN MAEUN MATARI)

Ngke e a reke angin te marurung iroun te unaine aio ao e rinnako ngkanne inanon ana umwana ae bon tau buburana. I mwiin rokirokian raoi umwana arei ao e a kena aontano ao man kaiia atan Matari inanona. E karaua raoi ni kabwaritaake i etana, e kamakii matana ao imwiin te tai ae aki maan ao kai are e a mwanewenewe naba matanriana. Eng, e nako kain ana tabunea! E kabanea teniua te bong n ana tabo ao n arona anne - n aki mamatam, mooi ke matu.

Akea bwa ngke e kor...

(ANTAI MATARI)

N te aba teuana ao e mamaeka iai temanna te unaine ma tibuna te mmwane ae arana Matari. Bon ti ngaiia ni maeka n aia tabo aio are e bon raroa ma te kaawa. E bon tau buburan aia auti are e tei i etan taari ma bikena ae mainaina. I maiakiia ao iai te kaawa are e kaainaki irouia aomata aika bati.

Mamaten nanon te teinimwane ae Matari bon te kabuubuta waana te rooro i taari n tain te ora. N te bong koraki ao e na bon bae n takakaro te teei aio ma waana i taari ngkai bon...

I heard mother sang songs

When the sun rose in the east

I could smell hard burning woods

Early in the morning

Nearby the hut

When she called, children! Time for tea

Grated fresh coconut meat

With hot babai and saltfish

Served with reddish kamaimai

Oh! My favourite dish!

 

Daddy rose early as rooster flapped his wings

His toddy ibu screamed happily

Marked the new day for duty

His handsom...

Men sang with cutting knives

High on tops of coconut trees

Sweat falling like raindrops

Early in the morning

Like waves rolling in and out.

Women lit fire with handful

Of merry and caring

Boiled toddy to make 'kateete' and 'kaboreere'

Weaving mats under a pandanus hut

When the lamp gives enough

Light before the new day born.

Children collected firewoods

As others pulled out 'bero' fruits

For di...

Aikai 2 mai ibuakon taian kamwaninga (riddles ke puzzles) ake a rangi ni kakabonganaki irouia ataei ma ikawai iaon aban nako Kiribati. Ko na boni bae ni kaman atai rekeia - ngkai te kantaninga bwa ko a boongata n ongoongo mai mwaina. Ma ngkana tao a boou iroum ao kata rakem iai. Butiia ataein batam bwa a na buokiko :).

1. Iai te bwai arei te bwai arei, ngkana e ioioaki bwarana ao e a bwaka naba te karau. Tera?

2. Iai te bwai arei te bwai arei, n te ingabong ao e nakonak...

Two kids played among the plants just beside the road. They came across a green flying insect on one of the leaves. The girl quickly got hold of it. She was about to finish it when...

Boy:- Don't kill that insect or your father will die!

Girl:- My father died years ago.

Boy:- Well then, let the insect live and in return, you'll get a new dad.

Girl:- True? I think I like that.

Several da...

Aran ngkoa te reirei are i tabon Takoronga i Betio bon Takoronga Primary School. Bon anne arana ae bati n kinaaki iai n ririki aika a bati. Ma e a manga bitaki arana nakon DaiNippon Primary School imwiin bobongan te DaiNippon Causeway are imarenan Betio ma Bairiki.

Bon te bwai ae moan te kakawaki bitakin aran te reirei aingaia are e a kaman karaoa ana katauraoi te reirei aio imwaain te botaki ni katokaara. Taiani marooro, kamataku ma te amwarake a kaman tia aron baireaia. Irua...

Inside the classroom, a teacher helps pupils on pronouncing letter Q properly.

Teacher: Class, say after me Q
Class: Q
Teacher: Again Q
Class: Q

Teacher notices that Little Taata is the only one who says nothing. 

Teacher: Taata, say after me Q
Taata: No, I won't say it
Teacher: Why?
Taata: I promised Mum not to swear

(Letter Q and the Kiribati word 'kiu' (person's bottom) sound the same)

One day, someone in the family was sick therefore a 9 year old boy was sent to call the Medical Assistance (MA) for help.

Arriving at the MA’s home, the boy called out, “Where’s the MA? Someone’s sick and needs help.”

“Sorry, he left yesterday. He went overseas!” said the wife.

The boy nodded then went back home. On his way he kept saying, “Overseas, overseas, overseas, ...” The wor...

As the big tree known as 'Te Kaintikuaba' finally collapsed, Nei Takarara left the tree and went to the island of Nabanaba. She brought the seed of the tree with her. Arriving at Nabanaba, two men - Tauaba and Nakekea - met and married her. Nei Takarara soon gave birth to a daughter whom she named Tekanuea.

There was also a man by the name of Tearikintarawa who lived on the island of Tarawa. With him were his wife, Nei Tarawa, and only daughter Nei Terieri. Everyday, Nei Teri...

She couldn't believe her ears when her mother told her that she was going to Maiana, her home-island, to spend Christmas with her grandparents. Tina, the only daughter of Timau and Nei Rite, had always wanted to visit another island but her parents never allowed it. Now she had completed Year Two at KGV & EBS and her grandparents had asked her parents to allow her to come for Christmas.

Her first few days with her grandparents were a bit boring because she spent most of he...

Long ago the sky was close to the earth. Men and women did not have to plant their own food or go fishing. Instead, when they were hungry, they just reached up and broke off a piece of the sky and eat. Sometimes the sky tasted like ripe pandanus. Other times it tasted like fried fish. The sky was always delicious.

People in the village spent their time playing sports and dancing. At night they sang songs and told stories. The island king, Ueantabo, had a wonderful island. ...

Children of Kiribati 

Wherever you are

Stay calm, work hard and face challenges

Dad says life is just like that.

Children of Kiribati

Wherever you are

Stay together, work together to overcome challenges

The government says life is challenging.

Children of Kiribati 

Wherever you are

Be happy, be grateful and be thankful

Cause life is precious.

Children of Kiribati

Whereve...

Beach beach

My Kiribati lovely beach

Smiling and welcoming to the people and nature

Beautiful as always in my heart

Shinning bright in the moonlight

Awaiting to ease off all depressions

Shinngin even brighter in the morning

Whispering good morning to all.

Below is the information, we hope, you came here for! The 12 Cabinet Ministers and the Attorney General of the 11th House of Parliament. The team is led by a new President His Excellency Taneti Mamau and his ruling party Tobwaan Kiribati Party.

Ministers                                           Ministries         
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