With more than a dozen Colombian students enrolled in its courses, Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) plans to make them feel at home by celebrating Colombian Independence Day. 

July 20th will be marked with a flag-raising ceremony at SIT's Invercargill campus, the playing of the Colombian national anthem - "¡Oh Gloria Inmarcesible!" (Oh Unfading Glory!), followed by a morning tea with traditional Colombian food.

 SIT staff member Adriana Rincón, who is originally from Colombia, says there is a great deal of excitement building for the day. 

Attendees will be Colombian students and their families, SIT staff and students, and invited guests.

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Numbers of Colombian students attending SIT have reached the threshold of being able to acknowledge them as a community, says Ms Rincon, with more than a dozen Colombians currently enrolled in mainstream programmes – usually master’s, postgraduate and diploma qualifications, as well as English language programmes.

Ms Rincon said will mean a lot to the students.

"We value SIT taking this opportunity to link and engage with the different nationalities studying here, and to promote and support and connect with our culture through these activities.

"It's really important when we see our flag raised at SIT, it’s even more important when you live overseas, away from your home country."

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In Colombia the day is a public holiday, with Colombians usually celebrating by spending time with family and attending parades held in the larger cities. Main streets are closed off and people gather to watch the spectacle; all the military are involved, there are aircraft fly-pasts, dance and performances; traditional dress is worn in the colours of the flag, and the event is also televised so the whole population can join in.

"Traditionally everyone - every single house - puts a flag in their window or raises a flag to celebrate the pride we have in our nation, our flag and our culture - these moments are really special to us."

Ms Rincon said a pleasantly surprising outcome of the Covid pandemic has seen Latin American international students already living in NZ, moving out of the bigger cities and venturing elsewhere, now willing to look at other opportunities.

"We don't have internationals coming from overseas yet, but as a result of Covid, I think Latin American international students are more open now to different opportunities, and they are coming south when they see the lower living costs and study options here. 

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"I think they are looking at Southland as a place of new opportunities. At SIT this year alone, there have been at least five different Latin American countries represented at one time, with students enrolled from Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Argentina."

The celebration also provides impetus for the wider Latin American community in Southland to connect again and Ms Rincon believes those connections are growing too.

"There are Colombian migrants – current and former students and their families - and also former refugees living here – its great they have the chance to join together as one," she said.