Parenting can feel like a daunting challenge – even for the experienced. Wai‘anae resident Christina Taosoga, would concur. Christina is a mother of four: 28 year-old Nicole, 16 year-old Payton, 14 year-old Hyrum, and 2 year-old Kala. Having already been a mother for 26 years, she had experience to spare when Kala was born, but so much time had passed since she had a newborn, she understandably felt out of practice. That is where INPEACE’s Hi‘ilei home visiting program came in.

“Ola Wai‘anae i ka makani Kaiāulu.” This famous proverb was affectionately announced by Hiʻiakaikapoliopele as she arrived outside of Waiʻanae during her travels back to Hawaiʻi island with Pele’s sweetheart Lohiʻauipo of Kauaʻi. Like most traditional Hawaiian moʻolelo, visitors who arrived in new places would announce and honor those places by greeting the land, the winds, the rains and its people.

Growing up on a homestead farm on Hawai‘i Island, where she still resides, Puhala helped her parents and family to care for the land and animals. As a young person, she believed that the many people considered her as “just a farm girl”. Puhala dreamed of becoming a dentist and was a semester away from finishing dental school in Texas, but while she was visiting home during a school break, family circumstances resulted in her deciding to stay home and help with the farm and support her family.

As a young mother, Carla Ring-West knew that she wanted to be involved with her children’s learning. Through her participation and learning in Keiki Steps, and leveraging the knowledge she gained in teaching her own children, she blossomed into an educator and advocate for early childhood education.

Delton Kekahuna believes his experience as a PPT, EA, and long-term substitute has encompassed aspects for him to become a well-versed teacher. With the encouragement of other teachers and INPEACE staff, he believes he’s surpassed the most difficult hurdles.