21-07-2021 17.00 pm

Today, my family and I commemorated 10 year memorial since my sister Sharidyn was killed on the island of Utøya in Norway. The commemoration was held in Bragernes church in Drammen.

Below is a summary of the special memorial service for Sharidyn, Dupe and Birgitte.

Because of covid and restrictions on how many people could attend, the memorial service was also live-streamed by DT photographer, Rune Folkedal.

Click here for the video which can be found at the bottom of the article: Ti år etter Utøya: – Vi må tviholde på de gode minnene.

#viminnerdem

#werememberthem

21-07-2021 11:00 am

My speech (in Norwegian, English and Maori) that I held in Bragernes church commemorating 10 years since our sister Sharidyn was killed on July 22nd on Utøya.

Maori:

Tēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā

I greet us all who are gathered here today

Ki a koutou ngā whānau o te hunga kua riro i kōnei – he mihi aroha ki a koutou

To you the families of those who were lost here – our deepest sympathies to you all

Ki te hapori whānui – tēnā koutou

To the wider community – I greet you all

Ki ngā tāngata whenua – tēnā koutou

To the tangata whenua – I acknowledge you

Ki ngā mate, e kore koutou e warewaretia

To the dead, you will never be forgotten

Haere, haere, moe mai rā

Go now and rest in peace.

Ko Savannah toku ingoa

My name is Savannah

I whanau mai au i te taha o te awa o Drammen

I was born and raised by the river of Drammen

He uri ahau no Norway, no Aotearoa

I descend from Norway and NZ

Ko Tūhoe, ko Ngāti Whatua, ko Tūwharetoa ngā iwi

I am (all of these tribes)

Nō reira, tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou

Therefore, greetings to you all

My little sister Sydney read a poem in Bragernes church written by Erling Førland in honour of Sharidyn, Dupe and Birgitte. This poem was one of Sharidyn's favourites, that one of her teachers had given her the year before she was killed.

This poem is a fitting reminder that kindness doesn't cost anything and can mean the world to the person you are kind to.

Du er enestående. 

Du er mer verd enn noen kan måle. 

Du kan noe som er spesielt for deg.

Du har noe å gi andre. 

Du har gjort noe du kan være stolt av. 

Du har store ubrukte ressurser.

Du duger til noe. 

Du kan godta andre. 

Du har evne til å forstå og lære av andre. 

Det er noen som er glad i deg.

Below is July 22nd survivor Venill Kraviks beautiful letter (and speech) to Sissi  and Ellen (Dupe) in Norwegian.

23-07-2021 11:30 pm

Below are links to news articles and video-interviews that our mum, Vanessa did with New Zealands TVNZ OneNews and Te Karere, and Japans TBS News:

TVNZ OneNews: Kiwi Norway massacre victim remembered 10 years on

TVNZ OneNews: Sister pays tribute to Sharidyn Svebakk-Bohn, killed in Norway massacre