Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 2, 1 February 2018 — About Mālama Loans [ARTICLE]

About Mālama Loans

Almost 10 years ago an OHA Mālama Loan helpeel launeh the Kamiyas' teaching anel performanee businesses. "Asyou know, it takes some capital to just get off the ground," Curtis Kamiya says. That early funding not only provided capital to rent a studio, buy equipment, instruments and a computer, as well as fund some staffing help, but also allowed them to build a credit history. "If you don't have any business history no one wants to lend you money, whieh I totally understand, but OHA, they were interested in helping because of my Native Hawaiian ancestry, so it eame along at exactly the right time," he says. "We have since been able to secure financing for other things because OHA extended us that credit in the beginning." Learn more about 0HA's loan programs at www.oha.org/loans. ■