Na Makuakokua

Before I add more history, I have to tell about the Thursday night gathering of Na Makuakokua. While we expected 30, the turnout was more like about 60! -Uncles, Aunties, Tutu's, grandads and community supporters. Na Makuakokua means 'adult or parent helpers'. The beginning of the evening held little promise. The school had scheduled our space to someone else so when we arrived the space was crammed with HSTA people, my projector gave me technical difficulties - so no slideshow. The parent were sitting with arms crossed as if to say 'So what are we here for?' But as the evening progressed everyone loosened up and warmed up. The food was great, the hula performance was great, the chanting was great, the student's question and answer panel was great and the audience participation was great! Almost everyone who attended signed on to volunteer for something. We felt quite heartened by the show of support from this group. The DOE officials who attended were particularly impressed because usually parent attendance for any school related program is scant. They wanted the list of attendees to add to their 'stats'."

A word about the meaning and concept of Na Makuakokua. It amounts to mentoring. The success of an environmental program can be gauged by the size and the efficient organization of it's volunteer cadre -- Na Makuakokua. No amount of money will solve the the environmental challenges we face. Only determined people who set aside "differences" and work hard together are going to effect lasting change. We hope to utilize a mentoring framework where each Kahumoku has a "poki'i" -- a younger sibling, in whom they take special interest and to whom they give quality time. This system for Na Kahumoku is in its incubation and has not yet come to fruition. It is a major focus of future grant efforts. We hope to begin with this at Kealakehe High School in the near future.
For the present, we do have a powerful cadre of volunteer scientist and former educators and environmentalists as well as parents who are eager to assist.

Now back to bringing us up to the present with our "history". I left off with recounting how Hau'oli Mau Loa entered into partnership with us.