Inspired by Hilo’s very own mālama ʻāina guru, Bradda Skibs, Kamehameha Kapālama seniors give back to their own communities.
Ua hoʻolauleʻa nā haumāna puka o Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha Kapālama i ko lākou makahiki hope ma o ke komo like ʻana ma nā pāhana kōkua kaiāulu like ʻole he ʻumikūmāhā a puni o Oʻahu nei.
“Ua pōmaikaʻi nō mākou ma Kamehameha a he kūpono wale ko mākou kaʻana like aku me ka lehulehu ākea,” wahi a Sanoe Burgess, he haumāna puka o Kamehameha Kapālama.
“No kēia makahiki, kēia makahiki hope loa no lākou, makemake mākou iā lākou, nā haumāna, e hoʻomaopopo i ka waiwai o ka lawelawe ʻana aku,” wahi a Kale Kauʻi, ka mea hoʻolālā no kēia pāhana kōkua kaiāulu nei.
A i mea e ʻike ai nā haumāna i ka waiwai o kēia mau pāhana kōkua kaiāulu nei, ua noi ʻia kekahi loea nona ke kahua o ke kūkulu hou ʻana aku i nā pāka kahakai a puni o Hilo e kaʻanalike i kona ʻike me nā haumāna.
“Ua kono au iā ʻanakala Bradda Skibs mai Hilo mai e hui pū me mākou e kūkā me mākou e pili ana i ke koʻikoʻi o kāna hana ma Hilo ala,” wahi a Kale.
A no ʻanakala Skibs, ua kūpono nō keia haʻiʻōlelo ona.
“Ua hiki ke ʻike i ka pā ʻia o ko lākou mau naʻau no ka waiwai o kēia ʻano hana mālama ʻāina ma o kā lākou hana a no kekahi o lākou, ʻo kēia paha ka maka mua.”
“Ua maʻalahi ka hoʻolohe ʻana aku iā ia ma muli o kona ʻano ʻanakala iā mākou,” wahi a Sanoe.
“Ma Kamehameha i kēia mau lā, hoʻololi ka manaʻo a hauʻoli nō wau no ka mea ʻo kēia ka manawa ʻo kēia ke au nei a mākou, nā hanauna e ulu ana e ʻauamo i kēia kuleana,” wahi a Kale.
“ʻO kēia kuleana o mākou, he mea e pono ʻole ai ka noʻonoʻo ʻoiai ua ʻike a maopopo mua iā mākou i ko mākou kuleana a ʻo ia hoʻi ka mālama ʻana i nā mea a pau e puni ana iā mākou, ʻo ia ke ʻano nohona o ka Hawaiʻi,” wahi a Sanoe.
A ʻaʻohe hōʻole ʻana ko Kale i kēlā manaʻo.
“Inā ʻaʻole mākou aloha aku, aloha mai, kōkua aku kōkua mai, aloha aku i ka ʻāina, aloha kekahi i kekahi, ʻaʻole i hoʻomaopopo ʻia ka waiwai o ka hoʻonaʻauao.”
Kamehameha Schools Kapālama students celebrate their last year as seniors by doing community service projects in 14 locations around Oʻahu.
“We’re so blessed with all the stuff the school gives us and it’s just like second nature, like give back, it’s you give back without expecting something but we’re already blessed with all of this so it comes naturally,” says Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Senior, Sanoe Burgess.
“We want to instill in them the importance of reaching out to the community,” says Kale Kauʻi who is Character Education Coordinator for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama.
To better understand the value of these community service projects, the staff brought in someone who lives his life restoring Hilo beaches.
“I invited uncle Bradda Skibs from Hilo to share with us the importance and relevence of his projects in Hilo,” says Kale.
Uncle Skibs found that giving a speech was only appropriate for the work that he does.
“By coming and sharing with them and now they have their projects, they can see how important it is to take care of the ʻāina and to be a part of something and learn something that most of them don’t know.”
“He has one of those uncle kine attitudes so he was like easy to listen to and he had a good presentation,” says Sanoe.
“I’m happy that the outdoor classroom has become a part of our education in recent years because it is our duty,” says Kale.
“You always just know that’s what you’re supposed to do, you just know who you are, where you come from and make sure that you mālama what you have to take care of and your responsibilities in life and as a Hawaiian,” says Sanoe.
And Kale couldn’t have agreed more.
“If we don’t care for one another and if we are not stewards of the land, our teachings are meaningless.”