Kamahaʻo Kaai, a dedicated Kumu at Pūnana Leo o Waiʻanae and mother of two young children, embarked on her journey with Hoʻāla in June 2021. Her introduction to the program came through the glowing recommendation of another parent whom Hoʻāla had previously assisted. At the time, Kamahaʻo had two pressing concerns: the search for suitable childcare placement for her youngest, who was just ten months old, and the need for financial aid options.

The Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, a nonprofit with the mission of improving the quality of life for Native Hawaiians, opened its Center for Entrepreneurship in Kapolei on March 31. The center, which primarily serves the west side of Oahu, supports “family-owned community-based businesses to increase their capacity to succeed,” Program Director Lisa Pakele told Pacific Business News.

Four days a week, teachers from Keiki Steps fan out across the islands to set up makeshift classrooms in nine communities. On a recent morning in Waianae, on a farm tucked away on the edge of Makaha Valley, a half-dozen families roamed around activity centers under a lush canopy of macadamia nut, jackfruit and ulu trees. 

INPEACE Keiki Steps has been engaging young children and their families in early learning since 1999, serving as the first stepping stone in each keiki’s educational journey. Our programming has afforded us many opportunities to build relationships with ʻohana that last well beyond program graduation, allowing us to watch keiki grow and develop even through high school and college.