149 keiki participated

205 keiki registered

74 Native hawaiians served

Mālama Loko ea Foundation focus area includes the moku of Waialua: zip codes: Mililani-96789, Kahuku-96731, Wahiawa-96786, Waialua-96791, Haleiwa 96712,

104 participants were from our target zone/45 from other areas

Through the week highlights included visiting Loʻi Kalo at Nā Mea Kupono, Kokua Learning Farm and for the older students sailing with Wanana Paoa. Each week culminated in an ʻOhana Day, where students made lunch for their ʻOhana as well as 60 Kupuna in the Haleʻiwa area.T

Through Nā Pili Wai fed 300 Kupuna!

ʻOhana Overview

212 for ʻohana participants

87 NH

112 Non-native hawaiians

13 unknown

Nā Pili Wai Summer Program

MLEF hosted its second summer of the Nā Pili Wai Program, to share Loko ea Fishpond on a deeper level with community members between kindergarten and eighth grade. For 7 weeks, MLEF welcomed new cohorts of haumana, from Tuesday to Saturday, engaging in carefully designed learning activities. This year MLEF separated the haumana into grade level weeks.

Week 1: Kahaha—Grades 3-5—June 14-18

Week 2: ʻAmaʻama—Grades 6-8—June 21-25

Week 3: Kahaha—Grade 3-5—June 28-July 2

Week 4: Puaʻama—Grades K-2 —July 5-8

Week 5: ʻAmaʻama—Grades 6-8—July 12-16

Week 6: Kahaha—Grades 3-5—July 19-23

Week 7: ʻAnae—Grade 9-12—July 25-29

The program followed themes: Iʻa (Fish), ʻĀina (Land), Kilo (Observe), Āina (Land), Food Sustainability, and Leadership. The curriculum was designed to highlight these themes to facilitate participants forming greater connections to the spaces that feed them physically, mentally, and spiritually as they start their journey with us learning the importance of our natural resources. Older haumana worked to discuss how to become more sustainable as a community by protecting and/or restoring ʻāina. All of which comes full circle with the haumana preparing their own food that is cooked, by them, in an imu (traditional underground cooking style), and eaten by them and their families on Saturday for our last day of the cohort program. Weekly, from the imu, lunches were also prepared for 60 kupuna in the Haleʻiwa area, totally 300 over the course of the summer.

The connections that haumana made throughout the summer have been nothing short of inspiring. It is clear that the ʻāina has been waiting for more opportunities to educate and touch the lives of our youth, and this program has shown a great improvement in not only our impact on our community, but also the relationship they have with their families and the space that they live in. Connections made with Loko ea carry through the year as well. We have seen keiki change throughout their time with us, from being too shy to share reflections, to being the first one in the pond when work needs to be done. One highlight is a student who started with Nā Pili Wai last summer. The first day she barely uttered a sentence, Nā Pili Wai being the first program, class or interaction outside of her home since the Covid-19 pandemic. By the end of the week, she made friends and the sullen scared look was replaced by giddy glee. Through the year, she and her Mother have been attending monthly cultural workshops to reconnect to Hawaiian culture and spend quality mother-daughter time. This summer Kealohi attended Nā Pili Wai for the second summer. Her mother shared how grateful she is to Nā Pili Wai, she shared, “Iʻve watched her (Kealohi) grow, her confidence and her joy. She feels safe at Loko ea and thrives during Nā Pili Wai. Mahalo for having these programs for her!” These types of results cannot be fully expressed in words, but can be felt when seeing the character and personality of haumana change into a reflection of what this ʻāina stands for; respect for our home, promoting our culture, and love for our ʻohana and community. It is a blessing to be part of this program, and hope to continue this program into the future.