Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 9, 1 September 1991 — Hoʻola Lahui Hawaiʻi plans for Kauaʻi health needs [ARTICLE]

Hoʻola Lahui Hawaiʻi plans for Kauaʻi health needs

Editor's note: This is the first in a monthly series of columns by eaeh of thefiue islandwide planning groups created to address the heahh needs of Native Hawaiians in their area. by Mohala Aiu, coordinator Ho'ola Lahui Hawai'i is the organization that is certified through Papa Ola Lokahi to carry out the requirements of the Native Hawaiian Heaith Care Act of 1988 for Kaua'i and Ni'ihau. We were established in the fall of 1985 as a non-profit entity whose main purpose was, and still remains, to elevate the health status and overall living conditions of the Native Hawaiian. We have just finished working on our proposal for the service grant for this act and are now in the process of laying the groundwork for our planned programs. The Native Hawaiian Diet Program, whieh we are bringing to Kaua'i in cooperation with the Department of Health, is progressing well. A meeting was held at my office in Waimea on July 23 where we had a "traditional" luneh and listened to guest speakers, Dr. Terry Shintani and Claire Hughes, who explained the nutritional aspects of the diet and the philosophy behind it. Committees have been set up for publicity, recruitment, activities, and follow-up. We hope to start actual implementation by early next year. Ho'ola Lahui Hawai'i and the Waimea Hawaiian Church are planning a Kupuna Program, developed along the same lines as the one in plaee in Anahola, to meet the needs of the west side community. We are now in the process of preparing a proposal for a grant to fund this project. Waimea Hawaiian Church has the space needed to house this program but renovations will be required in order to meet Department of Health standards.

Nonetheless, enthusiasm is high and there are many community members who are willing to donate their time and effort towards the establishment of this program. The Native Hawaiian Library Systems along with Ho'ola Lahui Hawai'i sponsored a lecture on ho'oponopono given by Sonny Kinney at the Waimea Baptist Church on Aug. 29. It was an informational session put on for the benefit of the community to inform them about alternative methods of health care. We have contacted Management Planning & Administration Consultants, ine. (MPAC) to conduct a Needs Assessment Study of East Kaua'i. This survey will be the first step towards incorporating the east side into our scope of service. The questions on this survey were formulated by our board of directors and are meant to give us baseline information on the needs of the east side. MPAC did a similiar survey on the west side of Kaua'i for us in 1988 with favorable results. The needs of the Kaua'i and Ni'ihau Native Hawaiian communities are still in the process of surfacing. The Needs Assessment Study on the west side of Kaua'i in 1988 gave us information on: (1) prevalent diseases in the west side Native Hawaiian communities; (2) needs as far as health care and outreach services; (3) living conditions; (4) and how Native Hawaiians handled illnesses and problems within their ohana (immediate and extended families). The Needs Assessment Study to be done on the east side of Kaua'i, whieh has similar questions to that of the west Kaua'i survey, will give us a more complete picture of the island's needs. The east and west sides of Kaua'i have different characteristics due to the natural division of geography, the influence of the sugar and hotel industries, and the rate of development eaeh has experienced in the last decade or so.

East Kaua'i is more urbanized with a greater concentration of population and more growing pains. West Kaua'i, with the exception of Po'ipu, is more rural with a quieter paee of life. Ni'ihau presents a challenge to Ho'ola Lahui Hawai'i because of its private ownership by the Robinson family and its inaccessibility to the general public. The population of Ni'ihau is approximated at 300 people made up almost entirely of Native Hawaiians. The inhabitants of Ni'ihau eome to Kaua'i's west side for medical attention. Therefore, we plan to incorporate the island into our health care system working through the medical and Native Hawaiian communities of west Kaua'i. Ho'ola Lahui Hawai'i will work around the concept of lokahi (unity in all aspects of life) whieh will bring the Native Hawaiian to his full realization. Body, mind, and soul are integral components of the total self. If these three aspects of a full life cannot be restored, than the goal of Native Hawaiian resurgence will never be reached. It will take innovative thought and a dedication that runs deeper than the challenges it will meet. Overall, it will take a combined effort of the organizational unit to provide a means for change and the Native Hawaiian community to realize that change must occur in order to assure the continuance of the Native Hawaiian race. The basic idea of this undertaking is that it should be a community-based effort. Hawaiians helping Hawaiians whenever possible. It should not be seen as a threat or a roadblock to those it is trying to benefit. Our main function is to help. Our guidelines for health care, dissemination of information, and follow-up on these services should remain flexible. In order to promote change we should also be willing to change. Our goal is not impossible. It ean be achieved if we all work together.

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