This week a delegation of traditional culture experts from the Waa’gey organization travelled  to Yap Catholic High School for a presentation to the summer school students. Volunteers Joe Paiyar of Fachailap and Selestine Retewailam of Satawal spent several hours at the school talking to the students about canoe carving and traditional navigation.

Waa’gey founder Larry Raigetal accompanied the volunteers to supplement their presentations and provide translation into English when needed, and Habele member Alex Sidles was also present to talk to the students about scholarship opportunities.

Although most of the students at Yap Catholic were from Yap State, the Waa’gey presentation was for many the first time they had learned in detail about the various skills and practices required to build and operate a traditional sailing canoe. According to the Waa’gey members, such knowledge is in danger of being lost as society in Yap changes. As Raigetal explained, the purpose of Waa’gey is to remind young people of their heritage, even as they face the future.


Raigetal used the metaphor of a canoe to explain the value of teaching students cultural knowledge: “When a canoe is sailing toward a distant destination, the navigator always looks back at the point of departure to estimate how fast the canoe is drifting due to ocean currents. If he didn’t look back, he would have no reliable way of reaching his destination. We at Waa’gey  teach traditional skills as a way of giving young people the means to look back on where they came from, even as their lives take them to new places or new countries. Without a firm understanding of who they are, they would be as lost as a canoe that didn’t take note of its point of departure.”

Joer and Selestine illustrated their presentation using model canoes, sketches of canoes under construction, star charts, and wave pattern diagrams. Although the information was new to most of the students, they absorbed the concepts quickly. “Now you’re ready to a sail a canoe,” Selestine joked at the end of the presentation , although in fact it takes many years of study to acquire the full range of necessary skills.


Raigetal invited any interested students to come to the canoe house in Colonia and spend time with the Waa’gey volunteers who work there. “The canoe house is yours as much as it is ours,” said Raigetal, addressing the students. “Everything we do is for the purpose of teaching young people, so please come by any time you like!”


Share

In a simple traditional launching ceremony held at the Yap living history museum canoe houses, Larry Raigetal of Waa’gey thanked the invited guests for honoring Waa’gey carvers and volunteers by making time to attend the ceremony.  He went on to explain the ceremony, in a typical traditional setting, is one of several, and the final event to mark the completion stage of a canoe carving process.

“Hefaifoi” as the ceremony is termed usually allows for free flow of traditional knowledge and skills as well as criticism of the completed canoe by other master craftsmen present at the occasion.  The canoe marks the second sailing canoe completed by Waa’gey.

 Attending the ceremony were Lt. Governor Tony Tareg, several local master canoe carvers along with Waa’gey carvers and volunteers.  Special guests attending the ceremony included Yapital CEO Mr. Nils Winkler, Maren Winkler and their two sons Lex and John Winkler. Mr. Alex Sidles of Habele was also on site to attend the ceremony.  “This is a very important ceremony that attests to Waa’gey ‘s successful effort in ensuring that valuable knowledge passed down for many generations is kept intact by the future generations of Yap.  These skills are at high risk of being lost as modernization of these islands increases.  Waa’gey is doing the right thing in allowing this transfer of skills. We at Habele are happy to be part of this effort ,“ Sidles said.


Waa’gey is a locally chartered nonprofit organization that uses traditional skills to confront the challenges of tomorrow. Other components of Waa’gey projects include women weavers who are teaching younger girls such valuable skills.



Share

Non-profit organizations Habele and Waa’gey conducted a workshop for parents interested in obtaining Habele scholarships for their children in the 2013-2014 school  year.

The workshop was held in the afternoon at the community center in Colonia, Yap (Micronesia). Interested parents arrived throughout the day, and volunteers from Habele and Waa’gey were on hand to assist them in the application process. The workshop was the first of its kind for Habele, and around forty applications were received during the course of the event.

The workshop also marked the first time that Habele accepted scholarship applications from students from the main island of Yap. Previously, scholarships had been limited to outer island students only, due to Habele’s limited finances. This year, however, the contributions of several generous donors, especially the Germany-based financial services corporation Yapital, have made it possible for Habele to expand its scholarship program to Yapese students as well.

“Yapital has been a crucial partner in our ability to expand our scholarships this year,” said Habele board member Alex Sidles. “Without Yapital’s assistance, we wouldn’t be able to accept nearly as many students.”

The workshop on Yap enabled families without internet access to complete applications. “Not everyone has access to a computer or a printer,” said Larry Raigetal, of  Waa’gey  who assisted in organizing and conducting the workshop. “In fact, it’s often been the neediest families who have the hardest time getting their applications turned in.”

Due to the strong positive feedback Habele received from the community following the workshop, Habele plans to conduct a similar workshop on Yap every year. Habele will still accept scholarship applications over the internet, but the new annual workshop will enable families without internet access to apply. “We want to be as inclusive as possible when accepting scholarship applications. An annual workshop is the best way to do that,” said Sidles.

Habele will announce its decisions regarding scholarship applications in August. Families will be notified individually whether their student’s application has been approved or declined. In the case of a declined application, Habele encourages the family to apply again next year.


Share

A letter from the Habele Board President to donors and volunteers:

This has been a great year for Habele, and now we need your help in keeping our commitments to the ambitious students of Micronesia.

Since January, we’ve delivered dozens of boxes of dictionaries to students throughout Yap and Chuuk States. We’ve also provided specialized adze blades to master carvers in the Waa’gey canoe carving mentor program. Most exciting, we’ve partnered with schools in Yap to orchestrate our second annual high school robotics competition.

Now we are looking toward August 1st, when Habele announces its 2013-2014 Student Scholarships – and we need your help!

These scholarships offer students from remote islands and low-income families equal access to the quality instruction provided by Micronesia’s most effective independent schools.

Habele’s K-12 student scholarships serve a locally defined need. They raise community expectations of the power and utility of formal education. The scholarships are a targeted, transparent, and effective form of support for the most challenged segment of Micronesia’s population: students.

There are 24 Habele scholarships from the 2012-13 school year that we hope to renew (a 25th, is set to graduate high school!) There are dozens more additional applicants this year, some having applied each summer for several years.  The need far exceeds our ability to meet it, but at a minimum we are determined to keep our existing students who’ve met their report card goals enrolled next year. Average tuition at the schools where Habele scholars attend is just over $550 next year. In addition to the scholarship renewals, our hope is to provide further awards to the most deserving of the new applicants.

Please, consider making a donation to Habele today. Remember, we are an all-volunteer charity, with no paid employees. We are also an IRS-recognized nonprofit, so you may be eligible for a tax deduction.

Thank you for your support, -NM


Share

Shipments of cultural studies and art history books are headed to the Republic of Palau.

The donation, made by Habele, consists of copies of "Micronesian Arts and Crafts," "The Art of Micronesia," and a the newly released "Painting Palau's History." Each is authored by the esteem anthropologist and regional expert Barbara Wavell.

The books are headed to the Historic Preservation Office (HPO), the Palau National Museum, as well as public libraries. The hope is that both experts and lay readers alike will have easy access to the texts.


The newly published "Painting Palau's History" tells the story of Charles Gibbons. One of Palau's most famous artists, Gibbon's life spanned three Colonial administrations and saw many changes in Palauan society. His memories, expressed through his detailed and meticulous water color images of the past preserve cultural traditions and provide a valuable record of those early days. This work explores his life and art. Filled with vivid color illustrations, the book is visually striking and certain to be of interest to native readers in Palau.

"We've found that books dealing with regional topics are in high demand across the Central Pacific," says Neil Mellen, a Habele Director. "Anything we can do to develop an interest in reading among younger students -and sustain and indulge that interest among older community members- is great. Our experience is that books about the islands themselves often work best."

Habele is a US based nonprofit that has been supporting students across Micronesia since 2006. The charity's private school tuition scholarships, targeted literacy donations and innovative after school programs are designed to promore both educational access and accomplishment.

Share