We Are Oceania

Check out the highlights from the Fan Making Day!

A big thank you to all the young people and community members who joined us. Special thanks to our weaving instructor, Miss Etista Jose, and to our fantastic funders and sponsors.

Stay updated on upcoming events by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you and have a great day!

WAO on the move…

UH Resource Fair! Outreach to undergraduate students who are interested in health fields including Social Work!

Students were able to explore the different programs at UH as well as Nonprofit Organizations such as Aloha Care, Papa Ola Lokahi, and We Are Oceania!

The Fair ended with a Talk Stories with Professionals and Graduate Students who are navigating the different areas of studies. The students were able to ask questions and interact with the very passionate panelists.

"Here's an opportunity to share your stories and make a difference!"!!

Join us for a fun fan-making workshop!

Discover the art of making fans from coconut leaves!
Date: Tomorrow
Location: WAO Youth Empowerment Center
555 N. King St., Suite 116
Time: 3:00 - 6:00 PM

Come learn and bring your friends along too!

Outstanding Pacific Islander Corner!!!

Congratulations Associate Dean Dr. Meripa Godinet!

The Thompson School is very excited to introduce our new Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs, Dr. Godinet! Dr. Godinet is slated to be the new permanent Associate Dean pending UH Board of Regents (BOR) approval 🎉

👩‍🏫If Dr.Godinet looks familiar to you, it is because she has been with the Thompson school’s Department of Social Work since 2000. She is currently a full professor under DSW.

🎓Dr. Godinet holds a Master’s of Social Work degree from UH Manoa and her PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington.

✍️She has led many numerous research projects that have focused on the impact of differential treatment of Pacific Islander adolescents and families in various systems and institutions.

If you see her around campus, be sure to congratulate her! 🥳

WAO on the move…

It is truly an honor to be here in Washington DC at the APIAHF ANNUAL Award Ceremony to receive We Are Oceania’s Award for the work we do in helping not just Micronesians but everyone in Hawaii access health Insurance!

I also want to recognize our beloved brother Dr. Joakim Peter for inspiring us to start this program at WAO! Even though he is no longer with us, we carry him in our hearts and efforts where ever we go. And of course our Funder, the Department of Human Services of Hawai’i, MED-QUEST division for their trust to partner with our WAO team and contract us to enroll and support individuals and families into the Medicaid and Market Place health coverages.

Most importantly, I want to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to our Micronesian Communities, the Chuukese, Kosraeans, Marshallese, Pohnpeians, Palauans, and Yapese for your trust and willingness to allow us to serve you!🙏. This is truly a privilege. This award is for YOU!

Sincerely,

Josie Howard, CEO

U.S. Provides Over $1 Million in TAP Grants to the FSM

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) provided $1,038,453 in Technical Assistance Program (TAP) funding to the people of the Federated States of Micronesia.

This follows Assistant Secretary Carmen G. Cantor's recent meeting with FSM Ambassador to the United States, Jackson Soram, at the FSM Embassy in Washington. This fund will cover the following projects:

• $413,292 to One People One Reef for a Project to Bridge Sustainable Reef and Healthy Community Management in Ulithi Atoll

• $264,994 to Catholic Relief Services for the Communities Recycle – Empowering Artisans, Transforming Environments Project, a trash recycling - business initiative

• $183,382 to ROSE Initiatives for a Simulation Center for Longitudinal Training of Healthcare Providers in Chuuk State, for a healthcare training center at Chuuk State Hospital; and

• $176,785 to Pacific Resources for Education and Learning for Indigenous Learning Recovery Projects in Pohnpei and Kosrae.

Congratulations to our TAP grantees!

Pictured below: Assistant Secretary Carmen G. Cantor presents OIA FY 2024 TAP check to Ambassador Jackson Soram. Photo courtesy of Office of Insular Affairs

Important Announcement about the SNAP Program! Great news for the COFA community!!

We humbly request for your patience as we work with DHS and partners for details and guidance. We will keep you posted as we move forward! Tune in to our WAO Island Hopper Virtual Talk Stories.

source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/consolidated-appropriations-act-cofa-memo

We at WAO are very humbled to be partnering with the Chuukese Catholic Council of Honolulu. Today is the second day of their Annual Track and Field Day dedicated to empowering the youths!

The youths are able to share their God’s given talents, build friendships, stay healthy, motivated, and most importantly, connected to the community that gave them their identity!

We want to acknowledge, the President Marvin Bernard, and Vice President, Steve Francis and their Leadership team, especially Father Romble Emwalu for their great leadership in the Chuukese and Micronesian community of Hawai’i for the past 20 years!

Partners Spotlight Corner!

Congratulations Leina’ala👏👏👏! We at WAO are grateful for you and all that you do for the community ❤️🙏.

Youth Corner

Exciting news for all the young people out there! Don't miss this amazing opportunity – register today!

We are grateful to the sponsors and donors whose generosity has made these resources and opportunities possible. Much Mahalo!!

Highlights: FAFSA Assistance Workshop

Congratulations to all the young people who took part in the FAFSA Assistant Workshop on Tuesday, July 9th at the WAO Youth Empowerment Center. This is a fantastic step towards your academic career!!

We'd also like to extend our sincere gratitude to , , UH-Manoa GearUp, and for the great collaboration and also huge mahalo to the parents who were also at workshop.

Missing Person!!!

UPDATE: Shirley has been found!

Shirley’s family provided the most up to date info to share and here is the phone number and case info to provide if you have any information at all! Please share and call the police if you have any information at all!

Here at WAO, we want to wish you and your family a Christmas filled with joy and peace. Merry Christmas and be safe!!

Snow time in Hawai’i ♥️!

Happy Thursday! A fresh dusting of snow on Mauna Kea captured on our live camera this morning on this first day of Winter!

Micronesian Community Fair in Lāhainā was a success! On behalf of our WAO Ohana we want to express out deepest gratitude to the victims of the Maui wildfires for showing up and blessing us with their songs, smiles, and warm welcome! We also want to thank the VoMOM ( Voices of Micronesians of Maui) for your leadership, Pohnpeian Churches, Kosraean Churches, Yapese Community of Maui, Chuukese Community from Maui, the Mayor of Maui, Governor’s Office, our FSM Consulate Office, Micronesian United- Big Island (MUBI), MCOH (Marshallese Commumity of Hawaii), FEMA, American Red Cross, Legal Aid, Pacific Gateway, HCIR, Mexican Community of Maui, and the many service providers who were present at the event yesterday! Thank you very much for all that you do for our community. Have a Happy Holidays everyone🙏♥️🌺.

WAO and MUBI on the Move…

“Across All Micronesia, join hands on every sides”. We are uniting in collaboration for our Maui Wildfires victims and their families. We are joining the rest of the Maui Micronesian communities! Come join us and stay tune for photos and videos of the event.

Kind and Important Reminders!

- “COFA Languages” is the wrong way, “Micronesian Languages” is the right way.
Or
Chuukese
Belauan
Kosraean
Marshallese
Pohnpeian
Yapese
and many more!

- “COFA citizens” is the wrong way, “Micronesian citizens” is the wrong way, it’s “citizens of the nations of the Federated States of of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Republic of Belau (ROB)”.
Or…
FSM citizens
ROB citizens
RMI citizens