High tech met traditional tech when a group of US Navy Seabees pitched in to help the Waa’gey traditional canoe project in Yap, Micronesia.

The sailors, stationed on Yap as part of a construction civic action detail, used their powerful lifting equipment and wide-bodied truck to ferry a massive log to the traditional boat house where it will take shape as a sailing canoe.

Over the course of several weeks, Master Carvers and youth volunteers with the Waa’gey program had fallen, and carved out, a log in the jungles of Yap. It will serve as the hull for a traditional Carolinian sailing canoe. The dugout log -still weighing hundreds of pounds and measuring more than twenty feet long- was pulled up a trail from the depths of the jungle to a dirt road by a team of twenty boys using a rope. The next leg of the trip, the fifteen-mile road into Colonia where the Waa’gey’s boathouse sits at the edge of the lagoon, seemed an insurmountable obstacle.

“Thankfully, the US Navy was ready to help!” explained Larry Raigetal of Waa’gey. “They accomplished in a few minutes a lifting feat that would have taken us months,” Raigetal continued. “It was a great chance for us to share information and compare notes on our respective building techniques and technologies.”

The US sailors raised the hull onto a truck, drove it into Colonia, and delivered it to the boathouse. Young men and women presented the sailors with floral wreaths and gifts of local foods to convey their gratitude.

Waa’gey is a community-based organization. It aims to uses traditional skills to confront the social, economic and environmental challenges faced by the people of Micronesia’s most remote outer islands.
Waa’gey receives financial and material support from Habele, a US-based charity, which was holding a “listening tour” meeting at the boathouse when the log arrived on the Navy’s truck. Also present for the delivery was Nils Winkler, CEO of Yapital, a European-based electronic payments company. Yapital had donated chainsaws, adze blades and fuel for the Canoe Project through its ongoing partnership with Habele.

The US Navy Seabee civic action team is working on Yap to fabricate schools and hospitals, continuing a decades long tradition of American Government’s investment in core infrastructure for the people of Micronesia.
Share

An ABC Radio Australia program that covers news and events in the Pacific  broadcast an interview with Neil Mellen, President of the Habele Board of Directors.

Presenter Steve Rice explained how the small US based charity called Habele, which operates in Micronesia, has been officially praised by Yap State Legislators for its work there.

"The Speaker and Governor both communicated their belief that targeting support for students in intermediate and high school grades remains the best use of the charity's limited resources.

"The Council of Tamol and other traditional leaders encouraged Habele to expand its mission to serve all economically disadvantaged students, rather than only those from outer and distant lagoon islands.

"Habele's directors and supporters have just completed their 2012 listening tour in Yap State, to assess how the projects are working and how they can be improved."

The full audio clip of the interview is posted online here.

Share

Eighty students from the College of Micronesia-FSM and Yap High School visited the Waa'gey canoe carving project at the Living Museum canoe houses yesterday, Thursday, November 8th. Volunteer and coordinator of the project, Larry Raigetal gave a brief description of the project and basic instructions, including simple measurements on canoe carving. Principal Domingo Techur of Yap High School said he is "very happy the students had this opportunity to visit the project as Yapese culture and traditional skills such as canoe carving are just as important to learn."

Yap High School teacher Ms. Stephanie who coordinated the field trip for the High School students said the trip was "a success and a students learn a great deal of stuff."



Waa'gey is a locally chartered community based organization which actively works at the grassroots and community level to promotes use of traditional knowledge and skills. Some of its current projects aside from canoe carving include learning the skills of traditional weaving of royal fabrics for the girls and fish trap making for the boys.


Funding for this canoe project is made available from the Australian Government through its Small Grant Scheme. Waa'gey also receives support from Habele Outer Island Education Fund, a US-based charity.


Share

Habele Directors and supporters just completed the 2012 “Listening Tour” in Yap State, Micronesia. Meetings were held with state government officials, traditional chiefs, public and private school educators, as well as parents and community members in the villages.

Also attending the meetings was Nils Winkler, CEO of Yapital, a European-based electronic payments company. Yapital sponsored the Statewide Dictionary Project, delivering 1,000 dictionaries to middle school students, as part of its ongoing partnership with Habele to support K-12 students across Yap State.

Here are some of the trip highlights:

Yap State Legislators passed a resolution officially praising Habele’s six years of service to the students of Yap. The Speaker and Governor both believe that targeting support for students in intermediate and high school grades remains the best use of Habele’s limited resources.

The Council of Tamol and other traditional leaders encouraged Habele to expand its mission to serve all economically disadvantaged students, rather than only those from outer and distant lagoon islands.

Principals and teachers told Habele that after school programs such as Waa’gey (traditional canoe carving and weaving) and the Vex Robotics clubs have been genuine “game changers” for participating students. They asked for support to expand these extracurricular efforts.

The Women’s’ associations and the Waa’gey traditional skills programs thanked Habele for our donations of materials and funds. They both asked for Habele’s support in raising awareness of their work outside of Micronesia.


Public and private school educators asked Habele to repeat the statewide “Dictionary For Every Eighth Grader” donation on a yearly basis.

The feedback was constructive; the encouragement thrilling. Parents and educators communicated a genuine sense of gratitude. They want Habele to grow and gave us specific, actionable program ideas.

We encountered anxiety across Yap State about the drawdown in US Government aid and the prospect of a new multi-resort tourism and golf complex. This concern has spurred unprecedented public dialogue. The terms “sustainable development” and “effective foreign investment” were oft repeated. Directors noted a new interest in non-government organizations and hope about the role such groups could play in social and economic development.


The challenges faced by Yap (and all of Micronesia) represent an opportunity for Habele. Our targeted programs for students are academically effective and economically efficient. Habele’s slow-and-steady, grassroots, brick-by-brick growth strategy is being validated by praise and encouragement among official leaders and –more importantly– “back in the villages.” As the only US-based nonprofit solely serving students in Micronesia, Habele’s position remains unique and our ability to affect positive change enormous.


Share