UH to host online auction to raise funds for student financial aid

The University of Hawaii at Mānoa Hawaiʻinuākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge is launching its first online auction to raise funds for its depleted student emergency fund.

Bidding for the silent auction, Ka ea o nā iʻa he wai, opened on Wednesday November 24 and will run until December 1.

This fall, over 260 undergraduate and graduate haumāna (students) at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa Hawai’inuākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge are preparing for degrees. The majority of these students depend on some form of financial aid or scholarship.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the need for many college students to seek more funding to deal with tuition, housing and more. For over a decade, Hawaiʻinuākea maintained an emergency student aid fund; however, the pandemic contributed to its depletion.

“We are halfway through the fourth semester since Hawaii was gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have all seen our public and private schools grapple with rules, logistics, unfamiliar technologies, worried parents and teachers, and a lack of resources to try to meet our responsibilities to educate our people, ”said the Minister. Dean of HawaiÊ»inuākea Jon KamakawiwoÊ»ole Osorio. “Although it was not easy for anyone, I am particularly concerned with the way our haumāna behaved.”

“Statistically, students living away from home with few safety nets while they pursue their studies accumulate personal debt and wonder how long they can continue to enroll,” Osorio added.

The online auction features unique items and experiences, such as an hour-long musical performance by Osorio and ‘ohana, a hands-on workshop for making a mea kaua (traditional Hawaiian weapon), mahi’ai kalo (farmer from taro) starter kit containing 10 varieties of kalo, handmade jewelry and lauhala (pandanus) hats.

The department hopes to raise $ 20,000 for its emergency haumāna fund. Over the years, Deans have organized annual fundraisers and maintained a fund to help students facing unforeseen circumstances that could impact their education, housing, medical care, and other aspects of their property. -to be.

“We need your support,” said Malia Nobrega, Director of Strategic Partnerships at HawaiiÊ»inuākea. “It’s an exciting and fun way to help our students while having the chance to win creative, fun and unique items and experiences from community practitioners and friends!” “

The name of the auction dates back to an infamous 1871 speech in Mānoa to commemorate Lā Ho’iho’i Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day). In it, speaker David Kahalemaile emphasizes water (source of life) as a vital factor for the survival of the kānaka ‘ōiwi (native Hawaiians).

Donations to the Student Aid Fund can be made on the UH Foundation website.