Ua ola loko i ke aloha
Love gives life within
Love is imperative to oneʻs mental and physical welfare
-ʻŌlelo Noʻeau 2836Pūʻali kalo i ka wai ʻole
Taro, for lack of water, grows misshapen
For lack of CARE one may become ill
-ʻŌlelo Noʻeau 2705
Aloha hoa aloha and ʻohana,
Life is changing quickly… As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues its reach across the world, we find ourselves in new territory. Like many of you, we are adapting to the current environment and making necessary adjustments to protect our staff, networks and community members. For now, the KUA team has closed our office, suspended all in-person meetings, and will be working remotely.
We are all struggling with feelings of fear and uncertainty. That our island home is so geographically isolated can feel even more vulnerable. YET, these difficult emotions bring light to the critical importance of aloha ʻāina–the decades and generations of work that we all have given to renewing resilience, EA, and care-for-one-another as living values for Hawaiʻi nei.
What’s happening with gatherings and events for 2020?
Since the nature of our work takes place in the gathering of generations–he alo ā he alo (face to face)–we are having hard conversations among staff, partners, host communities, and network folks (all of you!) about postponing or canceling upcoming gatherings and events. We know this: the health and well-being of our kūpuna are of utmost importance.
On a call with members of the Limu Hui earlier this week we made a collective decision to postpone the planned April Limu Hui gathering on Molokaʻi until it is safe to gather again. So many great ideas were shared during this call about how we can continue to move forward together and support each other in the weeks and months ahead–ideas for virtual workshops, ways to advocate, and renewed personal commitments to kilo, document family moʻolelo, and share back with each other.
As we make these decisions together about upcoming events and gatherings, we will notify you. Please know: We are STILL committed to lifting up safe circles where we can all hold space as a community–be it in spirit or virtually.
Gathering When We Can’t Get Together…
We hope for a quick end to this crisis. Until then, please reach out–via email, phone or on social media. We will continue to share info, updates, opportunities, and stories of resilience on our Facebook and Instagram pages. For those who need a regular place to connect, touch base, share ideas, or re-center, we are exploring the possibility of setting up a regular teleconference call or other ways to communicate on the regular (more details to come).
And because necessity is the mother of invention, we expect to see a deluge of resourceful ingenuity rush forth from our lāhui and from communities around the world. Share your stories, life hacks, strategies and best practices, songs and poetry or things you’ve created or cleaned up. Here is one gem from Uncle Francis Sinenci of Hana, Maui! [Link to video]
The Warrior in Each Us
Lastly we leave you with the reflection below by Keoki Kīkaha Pai Baclayon, Kumu Lā’au Lapaʻau at UH-Mānoa Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. It’s long but so worth reading. [Read message here]
E mālama and pay attention! To yourselves and others. Let’s strengthen ourselves mentally, spiritually, and physically. Let’s eat nutritious foods, sleep, exercise, pule (whatever form that takes for you) and take the necessary precautions for safekeeping our ʻohana, communities, networks and all our cherished kūpuna. Let’s nourish our relationships by loving and being with (in whatever form) one another.
Aloha nō,
Miwa, Kev and the rest of us at KUA
Members of the Limu Hui gather for moʻolelo and sharing during a huakaʻi to Limahuli Garden and Preserve during the 2019 annual gathering in Hāʻena (photo credit : Kim Moa)
Network Members – If you have any info you would like us to help share with others in the network or need anything from the KUA staff, Email us at staff@kuahawaii.org!
