Mission Statement
The database aims ultimately to promote Native Hawaiian-serving
organizations on the
island
of
O'ahu
and to encourage
Hawai'i
residents to volunteer and become involved in the Native Hawaiian
community. It achieves
this by alleviating the costs of finding volunteer service work in
the Native Hawaiian community by providing information including
organization contacts, volunteer opportunities and positions,
volunteer-specific skill requests, and location information.
Who Does the Database Support?
The database provides support to the community
by addressing the needs of three important groups:
Volunteers
– who are primarily students (high school, undergraduate, and
graduate) but others too looking to serve the Native Hawaiian
community for whatever personal and practical reasons.
Native
Hawaiian-serving organizations – that are primarily non-profit
groups in the state of Hawaii that within their mission statements
focus their activities to address the many needs of the Native
Hawaiian community.
Native
Hawaiian Scholarship-granting organizations and agencies –
that often require its scholarship and grant recipients to provide a
certain number of community service hours that directly benefit the
Native Hawaiian people.
Why a
Native-Hawaiian serving database?
- While
many students are motivated by the desire to improve their
chances for college aid and by the requirements of their
scholarships, many others want to help their community.
- The
clearinghouse’s appeal is in its ability to differentiate
between the volunteers. Sites
can ask for volunteers with specific backgrounds, if any (such
as carpentry skills), and volunteers know what they’re getting
themselves into in terms of field-related organizations.
Providing this information may result in a decrease in
the volunteer turnover rate.
- The
volunteer process is often a hit-and-miss, haphazard affair.
Some organizations have too many people while many
don’t have nearly enough.
The database helps to eliminate the major obstacles of
time and costs of trying to locate an organization, having to
find an up-to-date contact person and phone number, and then
playing a usual game of email tag to set up a volunteer position
in an area of which the organization needs help.
- With
a decrease in information costs and a clearer vision of
opportunities in the community, people will be more willing to
respond to easy information and volunteer for the organizations.
This alleviates the costs of publicity for smaller, newer
organizations; it will promote unknown groups effectively and
gives them a chance to recruit volunteers.
- The
clearinghouse might encourage Native Hawaiians, particularly
youths, to get involved if they knew the wide range of fields
available, including medicine, education, law, agriculture,
conservation, business and economic development, technology,
natural sciences, and linguistics.
The variety also addresses the overall needs of a
healthy, vitally economic people.
- Most
Native Hawaiian organizations don’t receive the deserved
attention because of the lack of publicity, manpower, and other
resources. Being
part of the widely distributed clearinghouse will ensure that
their missions and activities are promoted.
- The
clearinghouse helps organizations regardless of size or location
to capitalize on volunteer demand and other resources.
- The
clearinghouse addresses the need in the Native Hawaiian
educational community for a source of updated information for
students interested in Native Hawaiian concerns such as
sovereignty, economic development, preservation of historical
sites, land and water rights, charter schools, and other issues.
In addition, the clearinghouse provides the university
and departments with contact information on industry-related
organizations.
What is the Origin of Project
Ku'ikahi?
In Fall 2003, Kalikolehua Hurley, a
student at
Stanford University, was awarded a Summer 2004
Fellowship from Stanford University Haas Center for
Public Service. After attending a Hawaiian rights rally,
she noticed that there was no efficient way for people
to turn their energies into action. Thus,
the idea of Project Ku'ikahi was born.
This project is the result of a community partnership
with the Native Hawaiian Leadership Project (NHLP). The
generous and unwavering support of Aunty Manu Ka'iama
and her staff were invaluable.
Ku'ikahi is an 'opio (young project) and welcomes
additions and suggestions. |
