Reprinted with permission from Kaselehlie Press, Volume 17, Issue 10

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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An exotic paddling canoe from the remote Pacific Islands of Yap has arrived at Point of Pines, a 17th century plantation on Edisto Island, South Carolina. The native mahogany outrigger will be the first of its kind to enter South Carolina’s coastal waters in over 400 years of recorded nautical history.

A symbol of the longstanding friendship between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the canoe represents months of painstaking craftsmanship, and centuries of traditional technique. This custom craft was hand built by the master carvers and apprentices with “Waa'gey,” a cultural preservation and mentorship program operating throughout Yap.


The westernmost state in Micronesia, the tiny islands and atolls of Yap are scattered across 500 miles of ocean, just south of the US Territory of Guam. An American protectorate following its liberation in World War Two, Micronesia is now a sovereign nation in a special “Compact” with the US.

Gift of this one-of-a-kind craft was prompted by generous support from private citizens across the United States –and in particular South Carolina– following Super Typhoon Maysak, a record-setting storm that ravaged Yap and Chuuk States in the spring of 2015. Delivery of the donated canoe is being organized by Habele, a South Carolina headquartered charity serving students throughout Yap and across Micronesia. Habele solicited, coordinated and delivered relief supplies to pupils and educators in the wake of the storm.

Matt Coleman, a South Carolina resident who spent a month in Yap coordinating Habele’s efforts, emphasized the significance of the canoe’s arrival. “Americans who may never see the Islands of Yap showed overwhelming generosity in the wake of the storm. These donors aren’t on island to see the transformative impact of their kindness, but they can see this canoe, and know that friendship isn’t something built on proximity.”

For centuries, Micronesians have hand-fashioned canoe keels from mahogany logs. Planks are fitted and tied in with rope made from coconut fibers to complete the watertight sides. These graceful crafts appear symmetrical, with sternposts and stems protruding up from the keel in forks that Islanders liken to lizard tongues. An outrigger steadies the canoe. The contemporary design remains identical to that detailed by Spanish missionaries in the early 1700s, who called the Micronesian canoes “flying proas.”

The canoe’s point of origin and its new berth share historical ties with the Spanish Empire. In 1686, the Islands of Yap were sighted and first claimed as Spanish colony. That same year -over 7,000 miles away- Point of Pines Plantation was burned by Spanish raiders from Florida hoping to expel English colonists from present day South Carolina.

“This canoe is authentic enough for museum display, and functional enough to take shrimping in South Carolina’s tidal creeks,” explained Larry Raigetal of Waa’gey. “It’s made from local materials, with traditional tools, and we are excited about our friends in South Carolina putting it to good use.”

Raigetal’s group was one of many Yap-based organizations who partnered with Habele and other US public and private donors to orchestrate and deliver relief supplies, a process which is still ongoing. Others include Pacific Missionary Airlines (PMA), the Fais Ulithi Ngulu Sorol Organization (FUNSO), as well as Yap State’s own Office of the Governor, Department of Education (DOE) and Sea Transportation Department.

“The partnerships created to support communities’ recovery from the Super Typhoon reflect the foundation of the US-Micronesian relationship: person-to-person connections,” continued Raigetal. “I hope this canoe, perhaps the most powerful symbol of Micronesian culture and tradition, will highlight how much individual Micronesians value those friendships."

Formal dedication and commissioning of the canoe is planned for the spring on Edisto Island.

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(Yap, Micronesia) A group of master craftsman on Yap are using cultural skills and traditional designs to create trophies for winning athletes in that Micronesian State’s sports tournament.

The Fifth Annual Yap Games opened to a large crowd in mid-July at the Yap Sports Complex Gymnasium. Nearly 900 athletes, representing 10 municipalities across Yap, are competing in a dozen separate sports. Among the most popular are basketball, soccer and wrestling, according to Paul Lane, Director of Yap's Sports Council.


Organizers have partnered with Waa’gey, a group organizing efforts of local carvers, to developed distinctive traditionally inspired trophies. These symbols of reward and recognition are modeled after the “Carolina Proa,” a complex all wood outrigger canoe design perfected -and made famous- by Micronesians

The canoe hull model decorated with red and black paint is for gold medalists. Those painted black and naturally varnished are for silver and bronze winners respectively.


Waa’gey is a community-based organization that uses traditional skills to confront the social, economic and environmental challenges faced by the people of Micronesia's most remote outer islands. The group pursues preservation of native technologies and arts both to protect our distinctive Island identity, and to solve specific problems relating to import dependency, urbanization, climate change, and unemployment.

Among the carvers directing work on these unique trophies are Carlos Yarofaireg, Henry Mailuw, Johnny Retiglur, and Larry Raigetal, all of Lamotrek Atoll.
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To donate directly to Habele's efforts:

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

Habele is a tax exempt, all-volunteer, US based nonprofit with a proud history of high impact support for our partners in Micronesia. If you prefer to help by compiling donations, Habele can help direct these, paying for them to be mailed directly to the school.

Each year since 2012, students from two independent high schools on Yap have held a “Robo Day” exhibition. The fast paced event showcases the technical accomplishments of the student robotics teams for the People of Yap. These annual Robo Day competitions at the Colonia civic center last only a few hours but reflect the hard work of students and teachers throughout the entire school year.

Soon, students from a third school –Yap Public High School– may be joining in on “Robo Day” as well.

Vex robotics teams were established at the Yap SDA School and Yap Catholic High School in the fall of 2011. The US based charity “Habele” coordinated the donation of robotics kits from students from the robotics team at Chaminade College Preparatory High School in West Hills, California.  The pan-Pacific partnership included materials, instructional videos, and peer-to-peer encouragement.

Working with support from the team at Chaminade, as well as the instruction from their own schools’ teachers, the student teams at SDA and YCHS have grown steadily ever since. Members design, build, and compete mechanically complex robots, learning important Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) skills in a hands-on fashion. Many of the students initially involved with the teams have since graduated and moved onto higher education in STEM fields, in large part due to their experiences with the Robo League.


Now, through the generous investment of the Matson Foundation, materials and support are being provided to update and expand the Robo League. Once again American students at Chaminade have gathered and assembled materials to supply teams in Yap. These heavy and large donations have been organized by Habele, and delivered to educators on Yap through the financial support of Matson, a Pacific-wide public shipping company with a celebrated history of philanthropy and community engagement. Teams at Yap Catholic and the SDA School will be re-provisioned, and materials will be offered to educators at Yap Public High School for the creation of a new team.



Jamie Mooteb, a college-bound senior at YCHS cites the Robo League as a source of personal inspiration. "I’ve hoped to study engineering ever since joining the robotics club freshman year." "I'm really excited about the newly donated equipment,” Jamie continued.  “It will be cool to have all three high schools compete. Thanks to Matson and the students at Chaminade High School for making this possible!"



Bernie Valencia, General Manager, Matson Guam, echoed Jamie’s enthusiasm. “Matson’s employees and their families are proud to partner with Habele, investing in the students and schools of Yap. Matson knows first hand how science and engineering are the key to innovation and growth; that makes the Robo League so special to us.”

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Habele, the US charity serving students in Micronesia, is sending carving tools to culture teachers in the outlying islands of Yap State.

The blades, files, stones and brushes will help expert mentors provide hands on instruction to students safely. "This donation is important for two reasons," explained Habele volunteer Alex Sidles.

"The work of master carvers in Micronesia  preserves intrinsically valuable cultural traditions and it also equips young men with the practical building skills required for life in the remotest parts of the Pacific."

Habele has a proud history of providing top grade equipment and other specialized support to public school culture teachers as well as Waa'gey, an acclaimed island based civic organization working to preserve traditional skills. "We are particularly grateful for the help of Curtis Loftis, the State Treasurer of South Carolina, for personally sponsoring this gift of top-notch tools," continued Sidles.

Other Habele programs serving students across Micronesia and Palau include tuition scholarships, sports teams, high school robotics competitions, and book donations.

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A group of young men from the Neighboring Islands who live on Yap Proper are training to compete in that Micronesian State's Island League Basketball competition.

Their team, called "Weyei," emerged from the boys' participation in "Waa'gey," an after school mentoring program. That group uses traditional cultural skills to teach high students discipline, teamwork and identity.

The boys are to be coached by Waa'gey Director Larry Raigetal of Lamotrek, and former Peace Corps Volunteer Garrett Johnson. The athletes began with a multi-week fundraising effort to earn funds for team jerseys.

US-based Habele, a charity established by former Peace Corps Volunteers, heard about the team and offered to help. "The boys worked hard to raise money and buy jerseys. Habele has designed, ordered and purchased Jerseys, asking the young men to use the money they obtained to support other local civic efforts on Yap," announced Habele volunteer and former Peace Corps Volunteer Scott Leis.

Habele has a proud history of provisioning eager Micronesian student athletes with quality clothing and equipment to compliment their skill and sportsmanship. The nonprofit also provides need- and merit-based tuition scholarships, support for extracurricular science programs, as well as donations to schools and libraries.

"The American people, and in particular those of us who've been lucky enough to spend time in the Islands, are proud of our decades long partnership with the people of Micronesia," explained Leis. "We are particularly grateful to Jeffrey C. Genzer and Colleen Stewart Genzer, who served as Peace Corps Volunteers on Yap in the early 1980s, for sponsoring this important project." Mr. Genzer is a partner at the Washington-based Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke law firm.

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NIMGIL, Yap (YCHS News, June 08, 2014) — Thanks to the support of both Habele and Waa'gey, twelve YCHS students were able to participate in this year's Robotics program.  The students and their coaches, Mr. Michael Wiencek and Mr. Darrell Holloman, began working on the robots in January. The teams met at least once a week throughout the spring semester and practiced with the robots every day within the final weeks before the annual Yap Robo-Day Competition against the Seventh Day Adventist school.

In this year’s competition, two robots faced off head-to-head on a playing field divided into two halves by an 8 inch high wall. Tennis balls, foam soccer balls, and foam footballs were scattered throughout the playing field. The objective of the game was to place as many balls as possible onto the other team’s side of the wall.  The winning team was the one that had the least number of balls on their side of the wall at the end of two 5-minute rounds.


The YCHS team challenged themselves by designing and building three different robots. Each robot involved complex engineering.  Many different designs and prototypes were needed before the students were satisfied with their final products. Two of the robots created their own unique claw designs that could grab and lift balls, as well as battering rams to knock tennis balls off of the dividing wall. The third robot also included a battering ram, but used an innovative two-wheel system to trap balls into a reservoir and then shoot them through holes in the wall. The intricate designs showed a great deal of understanding and creativity from the students.


On Tuesday, May 27, YCHS organized the 3rd Annual Yap Robo-Day. The day began with exciting volleyball and basketball competitions between YCHS and SDA. During the day, YCHS students also sold local food and coconuts as a school fundraiser.  The day concluded with the robotics competition which began with two of the YCHS robots competing against each other to demonstrate the rules of the game. In the final match, two sophomore drivers—Annalyn Tareg and Kobe Sacres—took home the State Championship title for YCHS for the third year in a row.

Congratulations to our entire robotics team and thanks to all of those who make the Robotics program possible on Yap!

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Outside their classrooms, over twenty students and classroom teacher Patrick Kelly from the Yap Catholic High School (YCHS) along with Waa’gey volunteers were clearing under a shady tree that will become their carving site for the next few months.

A fallen log that had been cut down during the initial clearing of the new school campus was identified for the students to carve their fist canoe.

Before all the carving took place, Larry Raigetal of Waa’gey gave some safety tips on how to handle carving tools including adzes.  A brief lecture was also given on core principles and fundamental values of canoe carving.  The students waste no time is getting their first hands on experience by starting to carve out the main hull of the canoe.

The project which had been in discussion between Waa’gey and YCHS for the past few months was put into motion following a school visit by Waa’gey volunteers where a presentation was given to students on the values of traditional skills including canoe building and navigation.  Mr. Kelly who teaches at the school said the project will also allow students, particularly those who are skilled in hand work to carve other things such as the school seal and crosses to be put on the classrooms.  “The students are very excited in doing this extracurricular work “said Mr. Kelly

This is a historical project as it could be the first canoe ever carved out by high school students on the island.  Furthermore, the fact that more than half of the student participants are female presents quite an interesting scenario, said Raigetal of Waa’gey.   While the process of canoe carving lays out specific roles for both genders, actual carving is one carried out by the men.  Waa’gey is also considering bringing its weavers under the project.


The project allows Waa’gey carvers to visit the school once a week and work with the group.  However, at some later stage of carving, and as dictated by carving procedures, more frequent visits and work on the canoe will become necessary.

Waa’gey is a community-based organization founded by local s and chartered under Yap state laws.  Waa’gey uses traditional skills to confront the social, economic and environmental challenges faced by the people of Micronesia’s most remote islands. Both Yap Catholic and Waa'gey are proud partners of the US-based Habele, a small nonprofit serving students across Micronesia.
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Written by Duane M. George of the Pacific Daily News

Some youths in Yap will wear real high school sports jerseys for the first time ever.

Habele, a U.S.-based charity, sent custom-designed sports uniforms to Yap Catholic High School and SDA School, two private high schools in Yap, according to a news release from the charity.

Habele has been working with the two private schools for years, providing scholarships to needy students, supplying the robotics program and making the targeted donation of library materials.


The uniforms -- the first of their kind for both schools, the release stated -- will help inaugurate intramural sports leagues at both schools. Previously, the students crafted crude jerseys out of old T-shirts by spray-painting numbers using handmade cardboard stencils, the news release states.

"We're tremendously excited to be helping the high schools with their nascent sports programs," said Alex Sidles, a Habele director. "These uniforms will give the students a lot of pride and enthusiasm for their schools."


The new uniforms feature the schools' names and colors on one side and can be turned inside-out to reveal a white side.

Basketballs, volleyballs - Habele also will send high-quality basketballs and volleyballs to each school.
"Sports are such an important part of growing up to be a healthy, well-rounded adult," said Sidles. "It's a real pleasure to help these schools out with that."


The sports program is the charity's first initiative in this field and was made possible by Habele's donors and volunteers, the release stated.

To learn more or to help Habele's educational mission, visit www.habele.org.


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US-based charity Habele has sent a collection of sports uniforms to Yap Catholic High School and SDA School, the two private high schools on the Micronesian island of Yap. The uniforms, the first of their kind for both schools, will help inaugurate intramural sports leagues at both schools.

“We’re tremendously excited to be helping the high schools with their nascent sports programs,” said Alex Sidles, a Habele director. “These uniforms will give the students a lot of pride and enthusiasm for their schools.”  Previously, the students had been crafting crude jerseys out of old t-shirts by spray-painting the cloth beneath handmade cardboard stencils.

The new uniforms feature the schools’ names and colors on one side—light blue for Yap Catholic, maroon for SDA—and can also be turned inside-out to reveal a white side. The American made reversible jerseys allow the schools to set up teams within their own campuses.

“These are really good uniforms,” said Sidles. “We had them custom designed and crafted for each school. I’ve seen the student athletes play at these schools, and they deserve the best equipment we can get them.”


In addition to the uniforms, Habele will be sending high quality basketballs and volleyballs to each school. “Sports are such an important part of growing up to be a healthy, well-rounded adult,” said Sidles. “It’s a real pleasure to help these schools out with that.”

The two schools are not yet scheduled to play regular matches against one another, but Sidles said he is hoping for a couple of exhibition games during the school year. One possibility is to incorporate an exhibition game into the Yap Robot Day festival. The two schools’ robotics teams compete against each other on Robot Day, and it might be possible to showcase a game between their sports teams at the same event.

“The uniforms just open up more possibilities for public games, intramural leagues, competitions between schools, whatever you can think of,” said Sidles. “I played basketball for my high school, and it was one of my favorite parts of the high school experience.”

Habele has been working with the two private schools for years, providing scholarships to needy students, supplying the robotics program, and making the targeted donation of library materials. The sports program is Habele’s first initiative in this field and was made possible by Habele’s US-based donors and volunteers, including Barbara and Ray Dalio of Connecticut. Those interested in learning more or in helping Habele’s educational mission can visit www.habele.org.




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Waa’gey founder and volunteer Mr. Larry Raigetal gave a presentation to the Council of Tamol (chiefs) from the neighboring islands of Yap on the ongoing activities of his group's work.

Waa'gey is a Habele supported extracurricular program. It uses a mentorship model to support at-risk high school aged students through the instruction of traditional cultural skills.

Following a brief introduction from Andy Tafileichig, the acting Chairman of the council, Mr. Raigetal provided a brief summary of what the program mission and objectives were.  He said, Waa’gey is premised on the need to protect and safeguard our dynamic cultures by providing hands on opportunities in canoe carving, rope making, fish trap making, and weaving among others for the younger generation of the state.   Raigetal also briefed the councilmen on Waa’gey’s key partnership with two foreign entities namely a US based charity organization Habele and Yapital a European company. He said both organizations have been very supportive in providing tools and equipment to support Waa’gey in addition to providing scholarships for Yapese students attending private primary and secondary schools.


Following the brief summary, a lively discussion including questions and comments were entertained. The consensus of the councilmen was that the program is vital to the need to preserve the dynamic cultures and traditional skills of the islands by keeping the future generation of the state engaged.  The group felt that COT must be encaged and get more involved in the project including being on the organization’s board of directors, an idea that is much welcomed by Waa’gey.  It was also discussed by the group and agreed that support from the main island is critical as the program is for the entire state of Yap.  As such, it was shared amongst the members that the Council of Tamol must give its support to the program as it is in line with its own mission to protect our culture.

The councilmen also expressed appreciation for the scholarship program extended from Habele and assure of their future support in encouraging their island students to apply.


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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!”


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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.



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The competition began with facilitator Larry Raigetal of  “Waa’gey,” who explained the ground and technical rules of the competition.  Raigetal also provided the audience with background information of the program, now in its second year. He explained how each school provided their student teams with classroom and after school instruction during the course of the school year. The Robo Day event marked a final display of progress and competition, but the goals of the ambitious extracurricular program were being met throughout the last nine months. Both teams had designed and built their robot from an elementary parts kit, honing and improving the robots' performance through trial and error over two semesters.

Each of the two-student team was given five minutes to operate their robots through the pre-determined game course during two timed rounds. The Yap SDA team won a coin tossing and was given the opportunity to lead off the first round. Both teams were tied at thirteen points after the first round.  Following some readjustments to the robots, the second round was given to Yap Catholic High School to lead off.   The final score for the game was 20 points for Yap Catholic High School and Yap SDA garnering 17 points.

The competition this year brought more excitement to the crowd as the two robots were greatly modified by the teams, allowing them to maneuver and move about the course at higher speeds than last year.  Both teams did exceptionally well in operating their robots. Fr. Michael Corcoran SJ Principal of Yap Catholic High School said he was very happy with the turn out and was most impressed at the improvement made by both robotic teams.  “Last year after the first round, the score was only 1-0” This is a huge improvement he said. Principal Ryan of Yap SDA shared Corcoran’s enthusiasm. Local television and media were also on site to interview the teams and their coaches following the event.

The US based charity “Habele” coordinated the event, with financial support from the European based electronic payments firm “Yapital." The Yap based Waa’gey organization organized the exhibition and served as a liaison to educators and team members throughout the school year. Larry Raigetal of Waa’gey declared the event a major success. “Not only did we see great improvements on the performance of the teams and their modified robots this year, the level of turn out and excitement of those who came only makes us want to work harder for a better event next year!”###


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