US aid programs for Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands are deeply flawed, and Micronesians who come to the US seeking a better life often face major challenges as well.

That's the conclusion of a new report published by the Hawaiian-based Grassroot Institute, a nonpartisan think tank.

The Institute's new Returning Power to Micronesians in Hawaii report explains how decades of poorly designed and badly managed bilateral aid has stunted economic growth in these three strategically situated Pacific islands nations, collectively known as the Freely Associated States (FAS).

Lack of domestic opportunity, combined with special rights of entry and indefinite residency in the United States, have driven large numbers of Micronesians from the FAS to Guam, Hawaii, and the US mainland in the recent years.

The Returning Power report examines how FAS migrants who come to Hawaii face a second set of challenges in the form of artificial barriers to affordable housing and economic mobility.

Read the full report at GrassrootInstitute.org.

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Habele scholarship recipients in three Micronesian States are reporting their first quarter grades and have much to be proud of!

The students attend private primary and secondary schools in the FSM capitols through k-12 tuition scholarships awarded by the Habele Outer Island Education Fund.

"This is an exciting time and the hard work of these ambitious students is a source of great pride," explained Stephen Replogle, a Habele Director. "Investments in human capital are essential to growth and prosperity in Micronesia, a strategic US ally spanning the Western Pacific."

Since 2006, Habele has provided over $68,000 in tuition assistance for families, funding individual students, not districts or schools. It has also sent thousand of boxes of donated books for school libraries and provisioned after school and extracurricular programs with specialty tools and equipment

Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities. In addition to tuition scholarships and student exchange programs, Habele supports innovative student mentorship programs, hands-on STEM instruction, and youth athletic leagues.

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Habele scholarship recipients in three Micronesian States are reporting their first quarter grades and have much to be proud of!

The students attend private primary and secondary schools in the FSM capitols through k-12 tuition scholarships awarded by the Habele Outer Island Education Fund.

"This is an exciting time and the hard work of these ambitious students is a source of great pride," explained Stephen Replogle, a Habele Director. "Investments in human capital are essential to growth and prosperity in Micronesia, a strategic US ally spanning the Western Pacific."

Since 2006, Habele has provided over $68,000 in tuition assistance for families, funding individual students, not districts or schools. It has also sent thousand of boxes of donated books for school libraries and provisioned after school and extracurricular programs with specialty tools and equipment

Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities. In addition to tuition scholarships and student exchange programs, Habele supports innovative student mentorship programs, hands-on STEM instruction, and youth athletic leagues.

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Students and families on Ulithi Atoll and Fais Island want to read. Will you send them books?

Stephen Guertler, a Peace Corps Volunteer, hopes you will. Serving as a school based librarian on the Island of Fedraey (Federai), he has sought Habele's help in putting books in the hands of eager Island readers.

Fedraey is a tiny island on the Atoll of Ulithi, an "Outer Island" of Yap State, Micronesia. Guertler and his peers on Falalop, Ulithi, neighboring Fais Island, and the State Capital of Yap Proper, are working hard to provide students and community members with access to relevant reading materials.

Micronesia was liberated from Japanese Occupation in the Pacific War and remains a staunch American ally. The former US dependency is guaranteed millions in structured annual aid and access to US agency funds in return for exclusive US military use and base rights through a “Compact of Free Association.” In practice though, few resources reach the most remote communities, of the sort where Guertler now lives and works.


Along with Palau and the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia is termed a "Freely Associated State" (FAS). These tiny Western Pacific islands and their waters flank the US forward defense perimeter. They dominate international sea-lanes to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, holding special significance for America's Pivot to the Pacific. They are home to some of the most isolated and traditional communities on the planet.


Habele is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of educational opportunities in the remote islands and atolls of Micronesia. Created by former Peace Corps Volunteers, we provide literacy donations, tuition scholarships, student exchanges, and support for extracurricular programs across Micronesia.

It is easy for you to help:

Either, you can gather books, box them up, and send the weight, dimensions, and number of books to Habele (701 Gervais, Ste 150-244, Columbia SC 29201), which will provide you pre-paid postal labels, address stickers and import documentation;
-or-
You can make a financial donation to Habele that will pay for the purchase of books and the costs of sending others' donations! Visit Habele.org and click on the Paypal link to the right.

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Students and families on Ulithi Atoll and Fais Island want to read. Will you send them books?

Stephen Guertler, a Peace Corps Volunteer, hopes you will. Serving as a school based librarian on the Island of Fedraey (Federai), he has sought Habele's help in putting books in the hands of eager Island readers.

Fedraey is a tiny island on the Atoll of Ulithi, an "Outer Island" of Yap State, Micronesia. Guertler and his peers on Falalop, Ulithi, neighboring Fais Island, and the State Capital of Yap Proper, are working hard to provide students and community members with access to relevant reading materials.

Micronesia was liberated from Japanese Occupation in the Pacific War and remains a staunch American ally. The former US dependency is guaranteed millions in structured annual aid and access to US agency funds in return for exclusive US military use and base rights through a “Compact of Free Association.” In practice though, few resources reach the most remote communities, of the sort where Guertler now lives and works.


Along with Palau and the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia is termed a "Freely Associated State" (FAS). These tiny Western Pacific islands and their waters flank the US forward defense perimeter. They dominate international sea-lanes to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, holding special significance for America's Pivot to the Pacific. They are home to some of the most isolated and traditional communities on the planet.


Habele is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of educational opportunities in the remote islands and atolls of Micronesia. Created by former Peace Corps Volunteers, we provide literacy donations, tuition scholarships, student exchanges, and support for extracurricular programs across Micronesia.

It is easy for you to help:

Either, you can gather books, box them up, and send the weight, dimensions, and number of books to Habele (701 Gervais, Ste 150-244, Columbia SC 29201), which will provide you pre-paid postal labels, address stickers and import documentation;
-or-
You can make a financial donation to Habele that will pay for the purchase of books and the costs of sending others' donations! Visit Habele.org and click on the Paypal link to the right.

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Educators and community members prepare site of school-based library in Tomil, Yap State, Micronesia (FSM).


Peace Corps Volunteer Laurel Taylor sent these photos and an update on the progress. Last year Habele provided special t-shirts, with a student designed logo, for community members to sell as they raise support for their ambitious library project.


Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities. In addition to tuition scholarships and student exchange programs, Habele supports innovative student mentorship programs, hands-on STEM instruction, and youth athletic leagues.

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Reprinted from the Yap State Government News Brief,  8/22/2016

COLONIA, Yap (Media Division) — A Chinese research vessel was confiscated by authorities on the evening of August 13, 2016 for allegedly conducting illegal activities within the 12-mile zone of Yap State territorial water.

At 9:44 AM, the research/survey vessel Xiang Yang Hong 19 was sighted by the community in Maap Municipality to be drifting within approximately two to three miles outside the reef. Curious members of the community called the Division of Public Safety and inquired as to what the ship was doing in their water. After several failed attempts to make contact with the ship, the Division of Public Safety mobilized a team of Yap State Police and YFA personnel at 11:57 AM and departed from the YFA dock to investigate the vessel.


The team boarded the Xiang Yang Hong 19 and brought the ship and her crew of 58, including a doctor and 24 scientists, into the harbor. The ship pulled alongside the commercial dock at 8:03 PM on that day.

During investigation, officials found that the vessel had in its possession a “Research and Training Permit for the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Federated States of Micronesia” issued by the National Oceanic Resources Management Authority (NORMA) of the FSM National Government, which was to become effective on August 20, 2016 until October 19, 2016.

Also included with the documents onboard the vessel was a letter from the United States Department of State to Mr. Lixin Wang of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C. in response to a request for a marine scientific research application regarding activities proposed for Dr. Xu Yonghang on Xiang Yang Hong 19, from June 24, 2016 to August 25, 2016.

The document stated that the marine scientific research was to be undertaken in conformity with the information specified in the research application as supplemented, and the relevant provisions of the U.S. and international laws. The applicant understands that approval of this marine scientific request does not provide the applicant with exclusive use of the marine space. At all times, the applicant is to exercise due regard with respect to other lawful uses of the sea.

A copy of the final report produced incorporating information obtained from the marine scientific research under the application is to be sent to the following foundations aside from NORMA:

1.            National Science Foundation
2.            Naval Oceanographic Office
3.            National Oceanographic Data Center

Xiang Yang Hong 19, after awaiting clearance from the FSM National Department of Justice, finally departed Yap approximately 6:00 PM on August 20 and is enroute to Shanghai. ###

Learn more about growing Chinese engagement in Yap and throughout Micronesia:

• Thinking Strategically on the Pacific, 2016
• China's Gain is US' Shame, 2013
• Micronesia's Future between China and the US, 2012

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A dozen students from across Micronesia will enroll in prestigious private schools this fall with the help of Habele tuition scholarships. Attendance at these schools radically increases the children’s’ chances of completing school and moving on to higher education.

The investment isn’t coming from a top-down government aid program or an influence peddling foreign conglomerate, it arrives care of Habele, a tiny all-volunteer charity funded entirely by individual Americans with a personal commitment to Micronesia.

The students, whose families come from isolated islands and atolls throughout Yap and Chuuk States, have been awarded tuition assistance covering 50 to 100 percent of the cost of their 2016-17 enrollment. They will be attending top ranked independent K-12 schools on the islands of Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei. Most will live with relatives or sponsors for the length of the school year.

Picturesque and strategically located, the far-flung islands of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) struggle with isolation and limited natural resources. For decades, the crudely named “Office of Insular Affairs” at the US Department of the Interior has managed huge government-to-government payments to Micronesia, making the FSM the world’s largest per capita recipient of US foreign aid. That OIA controlled money has translated into neither broad educational access, nor measured educational accomplishment for most Micronesian students. The void represents a staggering need for privately funded efforts such as Habele's.

Since 2006, Habele has provided over $68,000 in tuition assistance, funding individual students, not districts or schools. It has also sent thousand of boxes of donated books for public school libraries and provisioned after school and extracurricular programs with specialty tools and equipment.

Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities. In addition to tuition scholarships and student exchange programs, Habele supports innovative student mentorship programs, hands-on STEM instruction, and youth athletic leagues.



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PacNet #60 - Thinking strategically on the Pacific Islands
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
July 27, 2016

The Pacific Islands are given little attention and rarely make the news unless there has been a natural disaster of some sort.

This is a mistake since these islands are of critical importance to any US strategy to counter Chinese adventurism in the Pacific and maintain the peace. Not only are the US affiliated islands an important source of basing for logistic infrastructure (should there be a military conflict with China), but they are also important to US Pacific Command for training, contingency and forward basing, the deployment of potential strike weapons, and deterrence.

Any “island strategy” must not be solely a military strategy but include interlacing development, diplomatic, economic, and culture strategies. At a minimum, islands in the Compact of Free Association States (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau), US Territories Guam, American Samoa, and the Marianas (CNMI) should be the target of key investment initiatives in health education, nontraditional security (for example, maritime security and energy security), and economic development in order to strengthen island societies as a whole and as part of a wider, foundational, and sustained US strategic approach.
   
From Hawaii to the first island chain, compact states and US territories form a natural and strategic pathway for US forces that must be strengthened, maintained, and integrated within any Asia rebalance initiative. But sadly, within the US government’s Asia rebalance initiative, the Pacific Islands are not viewed through the same strategic lens as, for example, the countries of Southeast Asia. The islands were given more resources in the first Obama administration in various US government programs, spread across many agencies, including defense security assistance. However, given the vast challenges faced across the Asia Pacific, there is little renewed attention from Washington on the island communities and virtually no focus on preparing for a strategic future.
   
The US has a special obligation and shared cultural ties to the islands stemming from the end of World War II and throughout the Cold War. This cultural legacy should be fully recognized, reaffirmed, and maintained. Any perceived lack of US interest in island development/welfare becomes an opportunity for China. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Fiji in November 2014 and hosted a meeting with regional leaders where he announced that ties would be upgraded to a ‘strategic partnership.’ China has invested $1.4 billion in island development since 2006.
   
During a 2015 conference at the National University of Samoa, “China and the Pacific: The View from Oceania,” Chinese participants specifically countered misperceptions among attendees about China’s aid and development program and role in the region. Professor Liu Hongzhong of the Centre for Oceanian Studies at Peking University, a presenter at the event, stated: “China has a big population and people will have doubts about the motives and whether they’re going to take the lead or change the rules, or whatever. So why don’t we just take China as another traditional member of the donors?” she asked.
   
The island nations/communities have a Pacific regional architecture with standing bodies and are to be commended for their work in addressing common development and social problems. There is the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders (PICL), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the oldest regional organization, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), of which the US was a Founding Member and provides 17 percent of the core budget. Rounding out this group is the Council on Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP) with 10 member organizations. A new regional body – the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) – was inaugurated at an international conference organized and hosted by the Fijian government in 2013. “Leadership, Innovation and Partnership for Green/Blue Pacific Economies” hammered home the aims to advance the vision of a “United, Distinctive and Sustainable Pacific Society.”
   
What is missing in public reports and declarations by these organizations is recognition that economic and social development must have a foundation of security, both traditional and nontraditional. Without security, problems like disaster preparedness and recovery, illicit trade (international criminal activity in general), IUU fishing, public health, and  climate change, among others, will disrupt and destabilize development, education, and good governance goals, divert valuable resources, and contribute to the “brain drain.” Aiding islanders in addressing security is the lynchpin of a comprehensive strategy requiring the strength and attention of US leadership.
   
A comprehensive Pacific Island strategy must include allies, friends, and “donors,” especially Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, the European Union, and other international organizations.  Australia, the single largest aid donor to island nations, and New Zealand have a regional “island strategy” of their own working closely with island nations in the South Pacific.  Like-minded donors must also include the private sector.
   
To take a leadership role in a more productive and proactive view of the islands, Washington should consider creating a standing Pacific Island Strategic Council, or similar type of organization, permanently focused on engaging island states in developing a strategy for the interwoven and crucial issues of defense, nontraditional security challenges, diplomatic engagement, development, emergency preparedness and resilience, and governance. A strategy, part comprehensive blueprint, part plan, and part ongoing dialogue, will be a future-oriented solution that reflects a long-term commitment to those often overlooked states.

David W. Hamon is an independent international security analyst and a non-resident fellow at Pacific Forum CSIS. The online version of this PacNet article is available here.

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Habele’s “LEAD,” or Leadership, Exchange, and Academic Development, is an intensive summer program for Habele scholars with strong potential for future leadership.

Based on the traditional host family model, this program fosters cultural, social and intellectual exchanges between Micronesian students and their American peers. The multilateral approach to developing mutual understanding and cooperation imbues participating scholars with increased perspective and capacity to drive sustainable regional development in Micronesia.

Bertha Hathomar, the 2016 LEAD scholar, is a native to a remote, underserved community in the Outer Islands of Yap State, Micronesia. Following the destruction wrought by Super Typhoon Maysak in 2015, the educationally displaced student received a Habele Tuition Scholarship to attend a prestigious private school in the district capital of Yap. While living with a Yapese host family, Bertha demonstrated tremendous academic focus and ability, earning high marks in all courses of study.

That Habele Tuition Scholarship provided an initial springboard for Bertha’s pursuit of greater social and academic horizons. Then, through LEAD, she further accessed studies and cultural exchanges rarely available to socially vulnerable Outer Island women, spending two months living in the American State of South Carolina.

Formal instruction included courses in filmmaking and cooking and nutrition at the Honors College of the University of South Carolina. Further academic enterprises included preparation for college entrance exams, and visits to local colleges and universities.

Additionally, Bertha enrolled in a variety of arts and crafts workshops provided by the Columbia Museum of Art. While maintaining a full schedule of classes, Bertha made time for guitar lessons, karate classes, and even a dog-training course.

Artistic and cultural exchange played a prominent role in the experience, with the Habele scholar attending a variety of musical concerts, community theater productions, and visiting some of the nation’s premiere museums. These opportunities were complemented by regular participation in the day-to-day lives and social activities of a diverse group of American families.

Leadership development was a consistent theme of the LEAD program. Bertha interacted with local and national leaders, including Katrina Shealy, an accomplished female State Senator from South Carolina who consistently advocates for vulnerable communities.

She also met Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, American Samoa’s delegate to the United States Congress, and a voice for the international development of democratic institutions. During a trip to Washington, DC, Bertha visited the Federated States of Micronesia’s Embassy, meeting with officials from her national government.

Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities since 2006. In addition to tuition scholarships and exchange programs, Habele provides targeted support for schools, libraries and innovative extracurricular programs.

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A young Micronesian student from a tiny island outside of Yap visited America’s Capital, meeting with FSM officials and taking in the historic sights.

Habele’s “LEAD,” or Leadership, Exchange, and Academic Development, is an intensive summer program for top students who’ve earned Habele tuition scholarships to attend private high schools within Micronesia. It is a host family based program enriching person-to-person, and family-to-family relations between Americans and Micronesians.


This year’s LEAD Scholar is an educationally displaced student, whose school and home were devastated by Super Typhoon Maysak in March 2015. Habele donors provided a scholarship for her to attend Yap SDA School. Habele also paired her with a generous local host family on Yap, who houses and supports her throughout the school year.

Her DC trip included guided tours of the National Gallery of Art, Museum of Natural History, as well as the Washington, Lincoln and World War Two monuments. She also visited the Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) receiving a briefing from the Embassy’s First Secretary.


The LEAD scholar compliments their academic year with time in the US taking summer classes, enhancing their English and cross-cultural skills, as well as networking with educational, civic and public leaders.


Following her time in the District, Habele's LEAD Scholar travelled south through the picturesque Shenandoah Valley, inspecting a limestone cavern.


Habele is an all-volunteer South Carolina based nonprofit advancing educational access and accomplishment throughout Micronesian communities since 2006.

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A young Micronesian student from a tiny island outside of Yap met with two members of the United States Congress last week.

Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Congresswoman Aumua Amata of American Samoa spoke with the student about the importance of the decades long US-Micronesian partnership, as well as her own educational ambitions.

Habele’s “LEAD,” or Leadership, Exchange, and Academic Development, is an intensive summer program for top students who’ve earned Habele tuition scholarships to attend private high schools within Micronesia.

The LEAD scholar compliments their academic year with time in the US taking summer classes, enhancing their English and cross-cultural skills, as well as networking with educational, civic and public leaders.

Habele is an all-volunteer South Carolina based nonprofit advancing educational access and accomplishment throughout Micronesian communities since 2006.

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Habele is proud to be sending copies of Barbara B. Wavell's newest book, Woven Hand Fans of Micronesia, to libraries in Palau, FSM and the Marshall Islands.

Woven hand fans are an integral part of life in the far flung islands of Micronesia where the use of plant fibers to produce woven products constitutes a major cultural and economic resource.

Wavell’s work documents styles of hand fans from some of the world's most remote islands including Chuuk, Kiribati, Kosrae, Pohnpei and the Marshall Islands. While each island likely had their own unique fan styles, new techniques developed and spread in the historic context of the 20th century where successive occupations by the Germans, Japanese and Americans influenced the production of woven fans.

Accompanied by over 60 illustrations mostly in color, this work is useful guide to anyone who has an interest in the rich and varied creativity of these exotic islands.

An accomplished expert on the region, Wavell may be best known as the author of Arts and Crafts of Micronesia, first published in 2010.

That image-driven book provides a detailed view of the artwork, craftsmanship, and history of the traditional arts of Micronesia using a unique blend of contemporary and historic collections to showcase such items as carved statuary, storyboards, model canoes, woven mats, baskets and fans.

Habele has provided copies of these texts, as well as other regionally relevant works, to schools and libraries across Micronesia. These direct donations are a part of Habele's literacy and library outreach program, which support local educators in the Islands.

Wonderful email from Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Winston, working with educators and families in Pohnpei:

Dear Habele team!
Thank you so much for sending those amazing books to the library, words cannot adequately express how thankful my students and community are for your generous contribution.  

Please see the attached photo of some students and community members, and expect something in the mail (snail mail) soon! 

Thanks again, Sarah

Habele is proud to be a small part of the success achieved by the educators and engaged families at the Temwen School, located in the Madolenihmw municipality of Pohnpei.


Habele is an all volunteer, US-based, IRS-recognized nonprofit. Help us answer the call!

or send check or money order to  Habele, 701 Gervais St, STE 150-244, Columbia, SC 29201.
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COLONIA, Yap — On Tuesday, May 24th, Yap Catholic High School (YCHS) hosted the annual “Yap Robo-Day” thanks to donations from the Habele Foundation.

“Yap Robo-Day” was held at the Community Center from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Despite the torrential downpour, the twenty-five students in the club still carried on with their robotics demonstrations for more than 100 visitors to the event. The students made repairs and improvements to their robots and even taught some visitors how to drive and operate the different robots. The event was made possible in part by the generosity of Matson, who has invested in this cutting-edge technology program.

The Robotics Club had started working on their robots in January of this year under the guidance of their faculty moderators, Mr. Michael Wiencek and Ms. Devi Gopal. This year, two senior students, Armhel Pigao and Kobe Sacres, served in the leadership roles of project contractors for the club.

YCHS produced a record number of four different robots, as well as a few side projects as well including a miniature race car and an electric guitar made out of Legos. This STEM oriented activity gives students the opportunity to explore their interest in possible science and engineering related careers in the future, while also developing their collaboration and leadership skills.

The Yap Catholic High School community also raised $390 through their fundraising food and drink sale at the event.

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Kind words from Satowan in the Mortlocks of Chuuk State, Micronesia.

Thank you so much for the box of goodies! It was such a lovely surprise to receive them a few weeks ago. My students were so excited for the books that I had a hard time getting them to focus on the lesson. All they wanted to do was read the new books. We appreciate everything that you sent. 

Photo and message sent from Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Feigelson.

She and the public school educators at Satowan Elementary contacted Habele in March of 2016, seeking age-appropriate texts for classroom and library use.

Habele is an all-volunteer nonprofit expanding educational access and accomplishment in the Caroline Islands (Micronesia). It supplies targeted, on-demand donations to educators and extracurricular programs, as well as needs-based scholarships to individual students.

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Waa'gey sending adze blades to their fellow carvers on Moch, in Chuuk, Micronesia.

Special thanks to Peace Corps Kaylin Dilbeck for cordinating!



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Opinon column published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Tuesday, May 31, 2016.

Communities on Hawaii and Guam are suffering. The flood of migrants from Freely Associated States (FAS) strains taxpayer-funded education, health, public safety and social services.

Every year, Hawaii taxpayers shoulder $100 million in costs for programs guaranteed under the terms of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). On Guam, the cost is over $50 million. The amount sent from Washington to offset these expenses? Just 16 cents for every dollar spent.

Nearly half of FAS migrants in Hawaii draw public food assistance. On Guam, the number is 58 percent. In Hawaii, nearly a third also receive supplemental welfare payments. A third of FAS migrants on Guam reside in public housing, and the number in Hawaii is presumed even higher. About 5 percent of migrants on Guam and 12 percent in Hawaii, are homeless. Only small numbers maintain health insurance and participate in preventative care. The result is costly emergency room visits.

This could have been avoided. Since 1951, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has spent hundreds of millions in American tax dollars to advance social, political and economic development in Micronesia and the Marshalls.

The failure is startling. Leaving stagnant, semi-cash, local economies for better lives on Guam or Hawaii is no longer just a rational choice for many FAS migrants; it is virtually axiomatic.

In recent years, Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has reacted to its own blunders by further micromanaging the hundreds of millions in aid that it is obligated to provide.

In some cases, OIA has simply withheld the money. Predictably, this has fueled the exodus.

Rather than deal with the underlying problems it helped create, OIA is now training migrants to maximize their dependency on taxpayer-funded services in Guam and Hawaii. This disastrous policy includes awarding grants to so-called “One-Stop Centers.”

Caseworkers at these centers are trained to immediately sign up migrants for entitlements, equipping them to aggressively cash in on the vast number of benefits available.

One DOI-funded group goes further, organizing migrants to advocate for changing what they term “unjust laws and practices that affect Micronesians in areas of health care, housing, labor, and education services.”

Taxpayer money for these groups was cannibalized from a Technical Assistance fund intended to promote accountability, financial management and economic development within the FAS itself.

Bizarrely, OIA rejected a counterproposal to educate and train would-be migrants before they left the FAS. This alternative sought to reduce migration rates through peer-to-peer education, and cut down on taxpayer costs incurred by those who did choose to leave. It emphasized integration through cross-cultural training and civic engagement, mirroring training U.S. Peace Corps volunteers receive when headed to live in the FAS.

That proposal also included third-party evaluation and cost-benefit analysis, accountability evidently lacking in the One Stop Centers DOI chose to fund instead.

America has a long-term strategic interest in a friendly, functional and prosperous Micronesia (FSM) and Marshall Islands (RMI). Hawaii and Guam bear a disproportionate and uncompensated burden from this national responsibility. OIA is undermining its — and our nation’s — own goals.

Like a physician who ignores the underlying illness, OIA is prescribing costly, ineffective treatments, worsening both symptoms and the root causes.

FAS and American citizens alike deserve better. America needs to correct its important relationship with the FAS.

That requires expertise in development as well as foreign relations. Replacing bureaucrats from the Office of Insular Affairs with the seasoned and professional diplomats of the U.S. Department of State would be a smart first step.

Neil Mellen was a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia (Yap, 2002-05) and leads Habele, an all-volunteer nonprofit based in South Carolina, serving low-income and rural K-12 students within Micronesia.

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(Hagåtña Harbor, Guam) This week, three hand-carved sailing canoes landed on Guam, completing a five-day voyage across the open ocean from Yap State. This arduous five day trek highlights the ongoing success of Waa’gey, a Yap-based mentorship program that trains island youth in traditional canoe carving and navigation. The voyage between Yap State and Guam served to bridge both time and cultures.

“Waa’gey students are trained to see the value in the traditions of our ancestors,” said Larry Raigetal of Lamotrek Atoll, the group’s Program Director. “They learned to build a large sailing canoe with their own two hands, and put traditional navigation into practice on a real voyage. The old ways still work.”

The canoes used were “Carolina Proas,” complex all wood outriggers designed, perfected, and made famous by Micronesians over centuries. Larry oversaw the project, captaining one of the sleek vessels that early Spanish missionaries called, “flying proas.” Designing, building and navigating traditional canoes requires tremendous expertise.

The Lucky Star, one of the three canoes from Lamotrek, used a completely hand woven pandanus sail. This is the only fully traditional sail employed by any canoe on the voyage, or even attending the  Festival of Pacific Arts, the Pacific-wide event which drew the sailors to Guam.

Historically, Outer Islanders traded woven skirts and mats for canoes built on Yap Proper. This was part of a complex trade network spanning hundreds of miles across the Caroline Islands, Guam, and even the Marianas.

Today, the promise of healthcare, education and employment has drawn Outer Islanders to the larger, more developed islands in Micronesia. Many Micronesians have taken the further step of migrating to Guam or Hawaii, an option afforded them through the Compact of Free Association between the US and Micronesia.


For a decade now, Waa’gey has used mentored canoe building to help tackle contemporary social and environmental challenges across Yap State. This mission is driven by the belief that traditional values and skills have an ongoing role in teaching young people to confront modern challenges. The young men who arrived in Hagåtña are a testament to Waa’gey’s success.

"For thousands of years, our people have been healthy and happy on tiny island atolls,” explained Raigetal. “Traditional practices taught us to use natural resources, and also protect them. Our cultures have withstood a lot of change over the centuries, but we’re dealing with more outside influences than ever. We’re also aware of the threat rising sea levels pose to low-lying islands. It’s not a theory. It’s real to us. This voyage to Guam is something the boys are quite proud of, but it’s just one symbol of the hard work and challenges they face in navigating Micronesia's -and their own- future.”

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For a decade, we've served ambitious students from the most remote Micronesian Islands.

This past year presented new challenges to Habele. Super Typhoon Maysak uprooted many of the communities and schools we support. A new category of educationally-displaced students emerged.

Outer Island schools remain in disarray. Most families lack the resources for alternatives. Habele continues to receive scholarship applications from these displaced students, as well as families across Micronesia seeking the best classroom for their child. As in years past, demand greatly exceeds our limited resources.

For under $600, Habele can place ambitious students in top schools in the state capitals for an entire school year. Our goal is to award twenty, K12 student scholarships in 2016. With your help we can make it happen.

In addition to funding scholarships, money raised now sustains the only high school robotics league in the Central Pacific, a vibrant traditional skills mentorship program, and direct-to-schools library donations.

This yearly plea is the only time Habele raises money. As an all-volunteer nonprofit, we channel contributions to our locally-defined programs, not aggressive fundraising efforts. By contributing, and urging friends and family to get involved, you empower ambitious Micronesian students to define and pursue their own futures.

Please make a donation to Habele today. We are an IRS-recognized nonprofit, so you may be eligible for a tax deduction.

Thank you for your continued support!

or send check or money order to  Habele, 701 Gervais St, STE 150-244, Columbia, SC 29201.

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In July of 2015, Habele sounded the call. An eager Peace Corps Volunteer, working with local educators and families, sought to restore a school based library in Pohnpei, Micronesia.

Temwen School is a small and rural Elementary school in the Madolenihmw municipality of Pohnpei. Temwen School has a small staff of seven teachers and one Peace Corps Volunteer; the Principal Elcid Joseph is a teaching principal.

The library had to be built from scratch. Staff members of Temwen Elementary School worked tirelessly to salvage books from all different areas of the school grounds. Then they renovated an older structure of the campus.



In her request for help, Librarian and Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Winston conveyed a severe need and genuine local ownership in the plan to address it. We implored Habele's donors and volunteers, explaining "Book donations are vital for this project to succeed."


Habele is proud to report our generous donors and volunteers helped do just that!

As Sarah reports on her blog, "For months, almost a year, I have worked with my fellow teachers to create the Temwen Community Library. Many people living in America helped make the library a success by donating books, so thank you, your kindness has made this space a reality. To date we have approximately 1,300 books!"

Habele was proud to also provide the hardworking educators at Temwen with t-shirts as small token of our support for their great work!


Habele continues to collect donations of books -and money to pay for their delivery- to Temwen. We are also working to support similar efforts in Tomil on Yap and Eauripik in the Outer Islands of Yap. We have outstanding -and unmet- requests from school based libraries in North Fanif (Yap) and Satowan (Chuuk) as well.

Habele is an all volunteer, US-based, IRS-recognized nonprofit. Help us answer the call!

or send check or money order to  Habele, 701 Gervais St, STE 150-244, Columbia, SC 29201.

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