Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 9, 1 September 2021 — Mana i Mauli Ola (Strength to Wellbeing) Moloka'i Style [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mana i Mauli Ola (Strength to Wellbeing) Moloka'i Style

/ LEO 'ELELE ^ trustee messages

My kuleana as your Trustee is to elevate the wellbeing of Native Hawaiians through strengthening our 'ohana, mo'omeheu (culture), and aina. We achieve these goals by affecting change in the areas of education, heahh, housing, and economics. I need your mana'o to guide me in my efforts and to keep me

informed as to how I ean better serve YOU, the OHA beneficiary. If we paddle in one wa'a, we ean achieve our vision of a thriving and abundant lāhui.

Board of Trustees on the Move We were on Moloka'i for the BOT meetings at the Lanikeha Community Center in Ho'olehua July 14-15. I was honored to host my first Moloka'i Island meeting. It also was a unique opportunity for the BOT to learn about community projects. At Keawanui fishpond in East Moloka'i, we experienced limu propagation first-hand at the Hānai Ā Ulu Native Crop Program's Limu Project & Sustainability Garden. They are not only farming limu, but also replenishing the natural supply that was onee abundant. Mālama 'Aina is very real on Moloka'i! Next stop was Kealopiko, the Native Hawaiian women-owned design eompany. Ane Bakutis, one of the founders, runs a company that is known for fashion and more! Kealopiko has a mentoring program and is committed to manufacturing on Moloka'i to prove that a for-profit entity ean be sustainable on the island. It was delightful to see the designs, feel the fabrics, and to witness the operation in action! Mahalo nui loa to all that helped to make this Moloka'i BOT visit a success! Your Trustee's On-going Concerns OHA is presently undergoing a re-organization lead by the administration under Ka Pouhana (CEO) Dr. Sylvia Hussey. I remain sensitive to the impacts these changes will bring to existing staff, their 'ohana and the coverage needed to accomplish OHA's work.

Share Your Mana'o I created a dedicated email for beneficiaries to contact me with your mana'o - eoncerns, questions, or issues. It is important that I know what is on the minds of OHA's beneficiaries. Email me at: alapainfo@oha.org. Resources Check out this link to review OHA's strategic plan for vjlu vv v7ijuiū pian iui

now and into the future www.oha.org/strategicplan/ Stay safe and healthy as COVID-19 is our enemy right now!

Malama pono! Aloha kekahi i kekahi! Trustee Luana Alapa ■

Luana Alapa Trustee, Moloka'i and Lāna'i

Kahekili and HūIū Pū-KūIo monitoring the limu growth ot Hōnoi Ā Ulu. - Photos: Joshua Koh

Ane Bokutis showcosing one of the mony patterns found on their products.