Kolonia Elementary School needs your help!

The school’s library desperately needs books, both for students, as well as for their parents and other community members who enjoy reading.

Kolonia Elementary School (KES) is located in the heart of Kolonia Town, state capital of Phonpei, Micronesia. It serves 600 students, from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade, from all around Pohnpei –including the outer islands. It also enrolls children from the Philippines and Fiji living with their families on Pohnpei, making it one of the most diverse schools in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).


Along with the Principal, Vice Principal and Librarian, KES is served by over 40 dedicated teachers, educators, and regular volunteers. In the fall of 2017, Parent Teacher Association President Richard  Porter reached out to Habele, a US-based nonprofit that organizes financial and in-kind donations for students throughout the Freely Associated States.

Mr. Porter explained:

We are in the process of getting our school's library up and running for all students, but are seriously lacking books for the students…
KES Library would love to have books, especially those catering to Kindergarten through Eighth graders (fiction and non-fiction) to include reference books and magazines.  Any and all donations are greatly appreciated!

You can help put books in the hands of these eager readers.

If you can purchase or gather books, please do so. Then provide Habele with the weight, dimensions, and a rough packing list of the closed box. Habele will mail you pre-paid postage, address labels, and customs paperwork in a sealed pouch to affix to the outside of the box. You can take the box to the US Post Office, bypassing the lines, and drop it off at the counter for its journey to Pohnpei.

If you’d prefer to make a financial donation, then Habele (a US-based IRS recognized nonprofit) will use the money to pay for the shipment of others’ book donations to the school.


Habele was established by former Peace Corps Volunteers –many of them classroom teachers and librarians- and other Americans looking to provide targeted support for students and schools across Micronesia. We are proud of our decade of work advancing educational opportunity through scholarships, exchanges, robotics, extracurricular programs, and assistance to libraries throughout the FAS.

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Students on Micronesia's famously traditional Island of Stone Money have begun to design and assemble hi-tech programmable robots.

Robotics clubs at five high schools in Yap received VEX Classroom and Competition Mechatronics kits earlier this month, kicking off expansion of the popular Yap Robo League.

Using the raw parts, students will design, build, and code robots to compete in a statewide STEM exhibition and robotics competition in May. Yap’s Robo League was established in 2011 by the US-based nonprofit “Habele,” and is now expanding across that state through a pilot grant award by the Office of Insular Affairs.



“We were inspired by the students from Yap who represented the Federated States of Micronesia this summer at the 2017 FIRST Global Challenge - H2O FLOW! international robotics competition for high school students here in Washington, D.C.,” said OIA Director Nik Pula.  “Through robotics, the Habele Outer Island Education Fund has been promoting the broadening of students’ experience in applying basic Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math skills in a positive, competitive, and hands-on way, and we are pleased to support expansion of this opportunity for more students in Yap,” continued Pula.


Pupils and teachers at Yap Catholic High School have taken the lead as peer mentors, supporting expansion of the Robotics Team at the Yap SDA School and the creation of new robotics clubs at Yap High School, Outer Island High School, and Faith Academy. Their efforts follow community meetings held by Habele in early Fall to gauge interest and develop plans for the league expansion.


“As the newest school on Yap we are thrilled part of this,” said John Malimai, Principal of Faith Christian Academy in Makiy. “The materials and technical training will expand the scope of our science instruction, and working with the other schools through the league helps us integrate and collaborate with other educators on island.”

While students at the five schools have begun tinkering, teachers and administrators are coordinating for a series of technical trainings in late 2017 and early 2018 to best guide their student’s work. The teams’ skills, developed over the coming months, will be showcased in a public five school robotics competition on May 22, 2018.

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Celebrating the rich heritage of traditional seafaring in the Pacific region of Micronesia, the Yap Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the Yap Traditional Navigation Society, has announced that the 8th annual Yap Canoe Festival will be held December 8 & 9, 2017 in Colonia.

The two days of festivities will take place at the Yap Living History Museum and will include a parade of traditional sailing canoes, dances, skills demonstrations and a marketplace offering food and handicrafts for sale.

Micronesian scholar and filmmaker Dr. Eric Metzgar will provide the keynote address and present his video, A Voyaging Odyssey, featuring highlights from the 2010 ocean voyages captained by Pwo Master Navigator Ali Haleyalur and Master Canoe Carver Chief Bruno Tharngan. The ocean crossings “rediscovered” the ancient, traditional sea routes between the islands of Lamotrek, Guam, Yap and Palau.


“We are excited that Dr. Metzgar will be joining us along with Ali Haleyalur and Chief Tharngan,” said Don Evans, general manager of the Yap Visitors Bureau. “Dr. Metzgar has spent many years on the Outer Islands of Yap studying the art and history of traditional sailing and is a leading expert in the field.”


Voyaging canoe rides will be offered on Friday, December 8 followed that evening by the traditional dances of Yap that are renowned throughout the region.


On Saturday, December 9, a photographic exhibit of Yap's seafaring history along with other exhibits will be on display. Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to taste the traditional offertory, voyaging, and celebratory foods connected with successful long sea voyages.


“This year’s Canoe Festival promises to be a not-to-be-missed experience for not only canoeists but anyone interested in learning more about the seafaring history and traditions of these remote Pacific islands,” adds Evans.

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Three students from Yap State proudly represented the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) at an international high school robotics competition this July in Washington DC.

Natasha Loochaz, John Steven Gilinug, and Francis Yarofalyango, comprised Team Micronesia, and joined students from over 150 other nations at the event.

Over several months each team designed, built, and programmed, their own complex robot based on the same simple parts kit, bringing the robots to the FIRST Global Challenge in DC for the matches and exhibition. In the arena, robots were organized into teams of three, battling to quickly gather and sort plastic balls representing clean water and contaminated water.

The team from Yap featured three graduating seniors from Yap Catholic High School, who earned the privilege to compete as an all-star team based on their performance in the Habele Yap Robo League.


In the first round of competition in DC, the FSM Team joined Argentina and Kuwait in a match against Bulgaria, Japan, and Grenada. Then Micronesia, allied with Vietnam and Australia, battled Cameroon, Chile, and Sudan. The day ended with a match pitting Micronesia, Brazil and Kosovo against China, Bermuda and Bahrain. For the day, the FSM went two for three.

Early the second day Micronesia partnered with Uzbekistan and Bangladesh in a match with Uruguay, Turkmenistan and Norway. They next teamed up with Ghana and Madagascar opposite Cameroon, Zambia and a pan South American team. Their final match reunited the Micronesians with Kuwait, along side Gabon, to compete with Japan, the Czech Republic, and a pan-Asian team.


The Habele Yap Robo League began in 2011 thanks to Eagle Engineering, the robotics team from Chaminade College Preparatory, a high school in California. Ameilia Weiss, then a Chaminade student, identified the opportunity for high school robotics on Yap during a dive trip to Micronesia. Back at school, she organized donations of robotics parts and instructional materials as a Habele volunteer, getting the League up and running.

Early in 2017 the League was invited to field a team at the FIRST Global event. Over a few short months, the students scrambled to design, assemble, and program, a competition worthy robot from a kit and system very different than the Vex Robotics parts with which they had worked in the past.

Lee Webber, former president and publisher of Guam’s Pacific Daily News, sounded the call in an April column about the team’s goal to compete in DC, inviting readers across the region to donate toward the costs of provisioning, training, and sending the students.


In addition to several hundred individual donations made by US and FSM citizens through a Habele Go Fund Me webpage, generous corporate support was provided by Tim Waters & Associates, the JoDoCo Group, the Matson Foundation, College of Micronesia, Blue Sky Traders, and United Airlines.

Senators Isaac V. Figir and Joseph Urusemal of the Yap Congressional Delegation made supporting the students a high priority for the Congress of Micronesia. A pair of targeted appropriations was smartly shepherded through the complex federal legislative process to quickly ensure the Team could make it to DC.

Over the course of the FIRST Global event, Team Micronesia earned six match points and 347 competition points. Their final ranking (131st of 163 teams) put them well ahead of more resourced teams from developed nations with widespread robotics, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.


The Micronesia team, and their mentor Gilippin Pongliyab, also met with FSM officials in DC, including Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. James A Naich as well as former Peace Corps Volunteers who served in the Islands and Micronesian citizens living in and around DC.

in addition to the high stakes competitions, Natasha, John, and Francis, participated in elaborate Olympic style opening and closing ceremonies, proudly carrying the four-stared flag of Micronesia. They also networked at  workshops, forums, and team building activities with student teams from around the globe.

"The experience was a great one," said Francis Yarofalyango, known to his Team Micronesia peers as “Cisco.” "Participating in the competition was inspiring, especially seeing so many young people pursuing the same goals as I am. Robotics is not only fun but it helps me connect to other people around the world."###

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(Colonia, Yap) A dozen Micronesian students are headed to prestigious private schools this fall, thanks to Habele K-12 tuition scholarships. These students will attend the independent school of their family’s choosing.

Described as “an investment in human capital,” these grants are funded by donations from former Peace Corps Volunteers, tourists, and other Americans with a personal connection to Micronesia.

Local ownership and sustainability are emphasized throughout the scholarship process by incorporating competition, incentives, and publicity. Habele is an all-volunteer charity based in South Carolina, and relies on private contributions to fund its scholarship programs. Since 2006, Habele has provided nearly $75,000 in targeted tuition assistance for Micronesian students.

Many of the scholars’ families come from isolated islands and atolls spanning Yap and Chuck States. They have been awarded tuition assistance covering 50 to 100 percent of their 2017-18 tuition and fees. These students will attend independent K12 schools on the State Capital islands of Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei that have among the highest completion rates, test scores, and post-secondary placements in the nation. Most students will be housed throughout the school year with relatives or host families.

The beautiful –and strategically located- islands of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) struggle with isolation and limited natural resources. Comprised of many small islands, languages, and ethnic groups, the Federation was organized in 1986 as an independent republic in free association with the United States. US aid sustains an economy dominated by the public sector. Those bilateral payments are set to expire in 2023.

Habele’s funding is always focused on individual students, not districts or schools. Each year, applications out-pace scholarship awards by nearly ten-to-one. Other Habele efforts include sending thousands of boxes of donated books to public school libraries, providing equipment for school sports clubs and specialty equipment for innovative extracurricular programs.

Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele’s singular mission is the advancement educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities. "For a decade now, ambitious Habele scholars have been making their families, teachers, and communities proud through incredible academic achievement," noted a Habele Director. "Extending ambitious students the opportunity to succeed is the simple part."

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Reprinted with permission from the Kaselehlie Press

Micronesian citizens living in Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, gathered in South Carolina in mid-May to reassemble a traditional paddling canoe. The boat was crafted in Yap and serves as a symbol of the interwoven history of the American and Micronesian Peoples.


Gift of this one-of-a-kind craft was prompted by support from private citizens across the United States –and in particular South Carolina– following Super Typhoon Maysak, a record-setting storm that ravaged the Micronesian States of Yap and Chuuk in 2015.


Canoe delivery was organized by “Habele,” a South Carolina headquartered charity serving students across Micronesia. Habele had solicited, coordinated, and delivered relief supplies to pupils and educators in the wake of the storm. “Waa’gey,” a Yap-based community preservation organization, crafted the canoe, also working with Habele to identify Micronesians in the United States who could reassemble the craft once it reached Edisto Island, south of Charleston.

"The canoe is the central object of Pacific Island cultures, and preserving the knowledge of its construction and use is essential to cultural preservation in the region,” explained Douglas Herman, Senior Geographer, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. “It is exciting to see this knowledge being shared and perpetuated.“

The westernmost state in Micronesia, the tiny islands of Yap are scattered across 500 miles of ocean, just south of the US Territory of Guam. An American protectorate following liberation in World War Two, Micronesia is now a sovereign nation in a special “Compact” with the US.  Through that status, many Micronesians come to study, work, and live, in the United States. Reassembly of the canoe offered some of these Islanders a chance to reconnect, and preserve their distinctive cultural skills.


“The practice of building and sailing canoes is an essential component of Micronesian culture,” says Barbara Wavell, an anthropologist and author of “Arts & Crafts of Micronesia.” “Canoe building requires many important skills including woodworking, lashing. These skills can also be applied to other cultural activities such as house construction and the making of bowls and tools. The Habele canoe project is a significant step in the promotion and preservation of this important cultural knowledge.”


Among the Micronesians who gathered to reassemble the canoe using distinctive and complex lashing techniques were Camilius Epoulipiy, John Salmai, Marino Yarogimal, Ralph Tawerilig, Richard Yangitelmes, and Troy Hasugulut. American born relatives of Island descent joined as well as American volunteers.


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 on Edisto 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 at Point of Pines putting it to good use.”


“I join our elders and young men of Waa'gey in extending our heart felt appreciation and congratulations to our partner, Habele and those who have helped to assemble the canoe,” continued Raigetal, the "Senap," or master carver. He was supervised by his late father and master canoe carver Peter Pakemai  “This is a proud moment for us and we are humbled with the opportunity to play a small part of this achievement.” Organizers hope to formally commission the canoe in mid-June.


“I was grateful to be a part of this,” said Cam Epoulipiy, who drove more than seven hours to attend. “To reconnect with Islanders living in the States, to practice and preserve important skills, and to see that others outside our Islands also value these things of such importance to us.”

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

To: Habele Outer Island Education Fund
From: Geoffrey Chambers
Date of Assessment: Friday, April 7, 2017 at 4:00 PM
Location of Assessment: Edisto Island, South Carolina


Abstract and Summary of Conclusions:

This is a condition assessment of a donated 11.5 foot long outrigger canoe built by Larry Raigetal and the Waa'gey Organization of Lamotrek Atoll. The canoe is a solid and well-made vessel of tropical hardwood construction. The canoe is currently in good condition and stored disassembled in a shipping crate. Minor repair of cosmetic outrigger grain separation should be considered prior to assembly. All parts are present for assembly and are structurally sound. The canoe and parts show no evidence of rot or significant deterioration and the paint is in good condition. Authentic coconut hair line was provided for lashing in the assembly of the canoe. Expert assistance is needed for assembly with the coconut hair line because there is insufficient coconut hair line to make mistakes in assembly and / or lashing.

Background and Objectives:
Habele is a non-profit organization benefiting education and cultural preservation in the outer islands of Micronesia. Habele and Burnie Maybank organized the importation of a Micronesian paddling canoe to the United States. The canoe is currently in a shipping container on Edisto Island.



The Habele canoe was shipped to Edisto Island in the fall of 2015 and has been stored in a plywood shipping container at Edisto Island for approximately 18 months. The objective of this assessment is to determine the current condition of the canoe and assets, expertise and materials necessary to assemble the canoe.

Basic Canoe description: 
This is a small paddling canoe with an outrigger. It does not have a sail rig. The canoe was built by Larry Raigetal of Lamotrek Atoll. The main hull of the canoe is approximately 11.5 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1.5 feet from keel to gunnel. The canoe has a single outrigger. The terms familiar to the author of this report regarding parts of an outrigger canoe are vaca (main hull), ama (outrigger float or outrigger hull) and aka (the cross beam connecting the main hull to the outrigger hull). The terms vaca, ama and aka may not be correct terms for a Micronesian canoe. The author requests correction should different terms be appropriate for a vessel from Micronesia.

Construction of the canoe is very high quality and utilized mahogany and other tropical hardwoods.
This particular canoe design has two akas connecting the ama to the main hull of the canoe. The akas are spaced approximately 1.5 feet apart and attach to the ama using lashing and forked wood fittings.
 
Overall Condition of Canoe:
The overall condition of the canoe was very good. It was stored in a shipping container with all parts needed for assembly of the canoe in the main hull of the canoe. The canoe was secure in the shipping container and there was no visible sign of damage to the hull of the canoe.

The shipping container was open on one side, but the top, bottom, back side and ends of the container were intact. The container protected the canoe and its parts from sun and shielded the canoe from most weather. The canoe is painted and the paint appears in excellent condition.


Some rainwater collected in the main hull of the canoe and some of the canoe parts were wet when inspected. Live oak leaves and pine straw had also collected in the main hull of the canoe. Evidence of a water level about three inches deep was observed as a stain line on the inside of the canoe. There was minimal water in the canoe when inspected for this report and the water and leaves were removed from the canoe. It is likely the standing water / tannin stains can be cleaned from the canoe.


The shipping crate contained the following items:
1. Main hull of the canoe or vaca
2. Outrigger hull or ama
3. Two akas
4. Four forked pieces of wood for attaching the akas to the ama.
5. One bundle of coconut hair rope for lashing connections in assembly of the outrigger.
6. One hand carved bailer
7. One hand carved paddle
8. Approximately 100 feet of coconut hair line for lashing parts of the canoe together during assembly.

Condition of Individual Parts:


The water collecting in the canoe caused one of the akas and one of the forks to discolor. The discoloration was a paper thin layer and there was no structural rot. When tested with a knife blade, the discolored wood was as hard as wood without the water stains. The discoloration can be sanded off of the wood and is paper thin.


The bailer is very unique and in excellent condition. It fits the profile of the bottom of the canoe to scoop water out of the vessel. The bailer is hand carved, stunningly beautiful as well as functional.

The paddle and the ama have minor cracks where the wood grain has split. This type of grain splitting is usually caused from drying of the wood. The splits can be repaired in the paddle and ama. The splitting in the ama does not appear to be structural. The splitting in the paddle is likely a structural issue because it is on the blade where the wood is thin. The canoe builder and an expert in marine wood repair can be consulted on options for repair of the wood grain in the paddle and ama. Two such experts are known to the author. One is a wooden boat builder in St. Augustine and the other is a retired marine carpenter and cabinet maker from Rhode Island who now resides in Beaufort, SC.
 
All other parts of the boat were inspected for cracking, rot or other issues. No other issues were found during the inspection. The hull of the boat, akas, ama-aka connection forks, bailer and lashing line showed no signs of deterioration and appeared structurally sound. No cosmetic blemishes were observed other than the above listed water stains and minor grain splitting on the ama.

Re-packaging the Canoe in the crate:

The small parts for this canoe were placed inside the main hull of the canoe for shipping and storage. Water collection in the main hull likely caused the minor cosmetic issues observed. To avoid future wetting of the canoe parts, the parts were packed above the main hull of the canoe. This will prevent soaking of the parts in the event of a rain event. The disadvantage to the repackaging is parts are more likely to fall out of the shipping container. Care should be taken if the shipping container is moved.

Assembly of the Canoe:
The canoe is in structurally sound condition and could be assembled with the parts supplied. All parts for assembly are present. As stated earlier, the cosmetic grain separation in the ama should be addressed prior to assembly. This cosmetic repair will be more difficult to access following assembly because grain splitting is near the location where an aka attaches to the ama.

Photos provided by the builder, Larry Raigetal, of similar vessels would be helpful in guiding assembly of this canoe. Likewise, video and / or photographic instruction in the lashing techniques used in assembly would be very beneficial.

A very similar canoe with the ama and akas attached to the canoe is depicted in the photo by Arde Pedersen on the following page. The akas are attached to the main hull of the canoe by lashing. Likewise the ama is attached to the akas by lashing and four forked pieces of wood. The lashing is a very technical procedure and requires specialized knowledge and skill. We have sufficient coconut hair line to accomplish the lashing, but we do not have enough coconut hair line to practice and learn the lashing techniques. Because coconut hair line is both difficult to obtain and very labor intensive to manufacture, it is recommended that expert assistance be obtained for lashing with the coconut line. It is further recommended that video documentation of the lashing techniques be used to preserve the knowledge. Video documentation can be used as a tool to teach the lashing techniques to both Habele volunteers and future generations interested in learning the arts associated with building and assembling authentic Micronesian canoes.

A modern production 3/32” synthetic fiber line should be used for learning and practicing the lashing techniques. There are several synthetic line products on the market that have a similar brown color to the authentic coconut hair line.  Temporary assembly of the canoe prior to obtaining expert lashing assistance can be done with synthetic line.

The author does not recommend using synthetic line for final and permanent assembly of this canoe. The coconut hair line is the traditional and authentic lashing material for these craft. The coconut hair line should be used in permanent assembly to preserve and maintain the beauty and authenticity of this canoe.

Conclusions:

The canoe is in very good condition.

The canoe can be assembled and used in its current condition.

Repair of cosmetic grain splitting on the ama is recommended prior to assembly of the canoe.
Repair of structural grain splitting on the paddle is necessary prior to use.

Water stains can be removed from the akas and aka-ama connecting fork with light sanding or scraping.

The water stains on the interior of the canoe can likely be cleaned with a soft sponge and water. Care should be used if using a detergent because this is a painted surface.

Expert assistance is necessary for lashing with the rare and difficult to manufacture authentic coconut hair line supplied.

The coconut hair line is difficult to manufacture and a precious resource. Practice lashing should not utilize the coconut hair line. Practice lashing or non-skilled assembly of the canoe can be accomplished by lashing with 3/32” or 1/8” synthetic fiber line. Synthetic fiber line is made in a brown color that resembles the authentic coconut hair line used for lashing in these canoes.

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