With the love and support of our Hawaiʻi community, PIDF raised over $225,000, which directly strengthens the organization’s work to break the cycle of poverty and trauma with programs and services that create greater resiliency for many of Hawaiʻi’s families. Auction donors (and bidders), support hands, PIDF team, and generous supporters paralleled PIDF’s mission to inspire and equip Hawaiʻi’s ʻohana and communities for success and service using timeless Native Hawaiian values and traditions. This 25th year anniversary celebration shed light on new connections and strengthened partnerships that have set the tone for this next quarter of  a century huakaʻi.

Ulu Hana first started in 2017 for PIDF’s 20th anniversary. The concept of “Ulu Hana” acknowledges, identifies, and celebrates the work, expansion, depth and degree of PIDF’s delivery of services. It also seeks, encourages, and promotes further growth in PIDF’s successful future. This year’s Ulu Hana was nothing short of humbling, as PIDF and the guests honored the foundation laid in the past while highlighting future ʻōiwi leaders. 

It started in 1997, when PIDF founders Jan Dill, Morris Takushi, and the late Gary Glenn were talking story about what they can do to address the gaps in resources and services available to Native Hawaiians. Nearly 25 years later, Partners in Development Foundation is one of Hawaiʻi’s leading nonprofit organizations serving the areas of multigenerational education, social services, and sustʻāinability. 

They carved a legacy for the PIDF we know today. And just like the day the organization started, the PIDF team is not afraid to step to the frontline to meet the ever-changing needs of Hawaiʻi’s communities.

The evening’s program was initiated by PIDF founder Jan Dill, who shared a pule that connected the ballroom with a blessing for the helpful hands in getting us where we are today, and shared hope for the next 25 years of. Accompanying Dill and his ʻohana were Morris Takushi and his guests. 

Esteemed Hawaiian musician Kuʻuipo Kumukahi led the night through mele while Hula dancers drifted to the stage to grace the audience. 

Monica Waiau took to the stage to share her full-circle experience with Partners in Development Foundation. She reminisced on her time as a staff member with Tūtū and Me and Ka Paʻalana. Later, she benefited as a participant with her preschool keiki. 

When PIDF President & CEO Shawn Kanaʻiaupuni stepped up, she honored the foundation built before her that has supported over 128,000 ʻohana members in Hawaiʻi. She shared: 

“E kaupē aku nō i ka hoe, a kō mai. Put forward the paddle and draw it back.

With your kōkua, we go on with the task that is started and carried through. It is with your support that we put forward the paddle and draw it back, advancing our waʻa to our common humanity and to the greater wellbeing of our lāhui.”

 We invite you to join us for our 2021 Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards. Tune in to hear our Pewa awardees share how their boots on the ground work helps to create a healthy and resilient Hawaiʻi. You may laugh, you may cry— but above all, you will be inspired as you learn about the transformational change created through the work of Hawaiʻi’s unsung heroes: Twinkle and James of Puʻuhonua o Waiʻanae, Innocenta of Pacific Voices (Kōkua Kalihi Valley), and Ginger of Liliʻuokalani Trust.

A pewa is a bow-tie-shaped patch used in traditional Hawaiian woodworking that is strategically placed along a crack on a wooden surface. It prevents breaks, thus bringing unity where there was once discord. Named after the instrumental pewa, Pewa Awardees are those who give fully from their hearts, with little need for attention or recognition.

Help us honor their work and celebrate the efforts and initiatives Partners in Development Foundation has done in our community, made possible by our team, supporters, partners, and participants. Click here for more details! The hour-long Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards broadcast will air on August 21 at 6:00p.m. on KGMB, August 22 at 1:00p.m. on KHNL, and August 23 at 7:00p.m. on K5.

 We invite you to join us for our 2021 Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards. Tune in to hear our Pewa awardees share how their boots on the ground work helps to create a healthy and resilient Hawaiʻi. You may laugh, you may cry— but above all, you will be inspired as you learn about the transformational change created through the work of Hawaiʻi’s unsung heroes: Twinkle and James of Puʻuhonua o Waiʻanae, Innocenta of Pacific Voices (Kōkua Kalihi Valley), and Ginger of Liliʻuokalani Trust.

A pewa is a bow-tie-shaped patch used in traditional Hawaiian woodworking that is strategically placed along a crack on a wooden surface. It prevents breaks, thus bringing unity where there was once discord. Named after the instrumental pewa, Pewa Awardees are those who give fully from their hearts, with little need for attention or recognition.

Help us honor their work and celebrate the efforts and initiatives Partners in Development Foundation has done in our community, made possible by our team, supporters, partners, and participants. Click here for more details! The hour-long Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards broadcast will air on August 21 at 6:00p.m. on KGMB, August 22 at 1:00p.m. on KHNL, and August 23 at 7:00p.m. on K5.

 We invite you to join us for our 2021 Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards. Tune in to hear our Pewa awardees share how their boots on the ground work helps to create a healthy and resilient Hawaiʻi. You may laugh, you may cry— but above all, you will be inspired as you learn about the transformational change created through the work of Hawaiʻi’s unsung heroes: Twinkle and James of Puʻuhonua o Waiʻanae, Innocenta of Pacific Voices (Kōkua Kalihi Valley), and Ginger of Liliʻuokalani Trust.

A pewa is a bow-tie-shaped patch used in traditional Hawaiian woodworking that is strategically placed along a crack on a wooden surface. It prevents breaks, thus bringing unity where there was once discord. Named after the instrumental pewa, Pewa Awardees are those who give fully from their hearts, with little need for attention or recognition.

Help us honor their work and celebrate the efforts and initiatives Partners in Development Foundation has done in our community, made possible by our team, supporters, partners, and participants. Click here for more details! The hour-long Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards broadcast will air on August 21 at 6:00p.m. on KGMB, August 22 at 1:00p.m. on KHNL, and August 23 at 7:00p.m. on K5.

Partners in Development Foundation’s (PIDF) 2021 Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards will recognize four individual leaders who have made a significant difference in addressing and supporting critical community needs or challenges within the state of Hawaiʻi. This year PIDF honors the work of Twinkle Borge and James Pakele of Puʻuhonua o Wai‘anae; Innocenta Sound-Kikku of Pacific Voices, a program of Kōkua Kalihi Valley; and Virginia “Ginger” Fuata of Liliʻuokalani Trust.

A pewa is a bow-tie-shaped patch used in traditional Hawaiian woodworking that is strategically placed to mend a crack along a wooden surface to prevent further damage, thus bringing unity where there was once discord. The pewa itself may not appear to play a major function, however, it introduces a new way for the older or damaged woodwork to thrive. Like the pewa itself, the Pewa Awardees operate with minimal recognition for their innovative, diligent efforts to fill in the gaps of their communities. These individuals work tirelessly to engage the resources necessary to see sustainable change.

PIDF is honored to share the 2021 Pewa Awardees:

Twinkle Borge and James Pakele of Puʻuhonua o Wai‘anae created an exemplary community-driven solution to Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing crisis, based on their lived experiences, compassion, and resiliency. Together, they manage a village of over 160 people who are houseless at the Wai‘anae Boat Harbor, where some ʻohana who participate in the PIDF Ka Paʻalana Family Education Program live. From food, shelter, health, security, and basic needs, Twinkle and James ensure that individuals and families of Waiʻanae, largely of Native Hawaiian descent, have a safe place to live.

Innocenta Sound-Kikku of Kōkua Kalihi Valley’s Pacific Voices program paved the way for many youth in the Micronesian and Pacific Islander community to embrace their cultural ties and successfully navigate life in Hawaiʻi. Innocenta leads after-school programming for children in Kalihi, which includes bilingual education, teaching oli, protocol, and values of their cultures, and traditional arts and crafts. In addition to her work at KKV Innocenta is an active advocate for Micronesian rights in areas like health care and education.

Virginia “Ginger” Fuata of Liliʻuokalanai Trust is known to many at-risk youth as Aunty Ginger, for her role as a foster or hānai caregiver. In the past 23 years, Ginger has cared for and ensured the wellbeing of vulnerable Native Hawaiian children and their ʻohana. As a longstanding board member of the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Center, she advocates for health care needs for the people of Hawaiʻi through her work with Congressional and House representatives in Washington D.C. Ginger takes action to fill in the gaps of accessibility to resources for the community members of Waiʻanae, like providing school supplies to children and hosting food distributions to address food insecurities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“So many lives have been blessed by the special individuals being honored this year as Pewa Awardees. These unsung heroes are the boots on the ground, go-getters who truly inspire transformational change. Despite the trials and tribulations we faced this year, these leaders poured their hearts into the livelihood of their community. They truly embody the pewa, playing an unassuming yet powerful role in creating a more healthy and resilient Hawaiʻi,” said Shawn Kana‘iaupuni, President and CEO of Partners in Development Foundation.

The Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards is a major fundraiser for the Partners in Development Foundation that typically takes place in person. Along with recognizing the work of Hawaiʻi’s unsung heroes the event acknowledges and celebrates the work of PIDF within the areas of multi-generational education, strengthening families and communities, and island resiliency.

The hour-long Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards broadcast will air on August 21 at 6:00p.m. on KGMB, August 22 at 1:00p.m. on KHNL, and August 23 at 7:00p.m. on K5. Viewers will also have a chance to bid on an online auction as well as join the livestream event, RSVP for free here.

A pewa is a bow-tie-shaped patch used in traditional Hawaiian woodworking placed along a crack on a wooden surface that prevents breaks, bringing unity where there was once discord. A Pewa nominee, like the pewa itself, operates with minimal recognition for their diligent efforts. This individual works to overcome obstacles within their community by engaging in and inspiring others to take action in areas critically needing repair.

Minimum Requirements:

• Resides in the state of Hawaiʻi
• Exhibits PIDFʻs core values
  • Aloha – loves and respects others
  • Lōkahi – creates unity and harmony
  • Mālama – cares for and honors the community
  • Pono – exhibits moral action
  • Poʻokela – produces quality outcomes
• Focused on creating a sustainable change for generations to come
  History of working within their community or the state of Hawai‘i to bring together people in an effort to inspire positive change

Do you know someone who should be nominated for this award? Please use this link to submit your nominee today! The deadline is Wednesday, April 28.

The importance of unrestricted funding for nonprofit organizations cannot be understated. While donations can be designated for specific programs or projects — as they often are with grants — unrestricted funds are vital and can be easily allocated to wherever they are needed most.

Our second annual event saw important Hawaiian traditions put into practice to honor our 2019 Pewa Awardees. We had oli from some of our Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education ʻohana and keiki, and cultural practitioner Aaron Mahi led the attendees in further oli and pule for the awardees.

Earl Kawaʻa, Antoinette “Toni” Lee, and Craig Takamine were all recognized for their dedicated service to our communities across Hawaiʻi nei. Each of the Pewa Awardees, along with previous Pewa Awardee Sweets Wright, was presented with a kihei: a traditional cloak typically made of tapa, tied with a knot over the left shoulder and worn during special ceremony or protocol.

Although these kīhei were made from muslin, the dyeing, stamping and more were all done entirely by hand using indigenous methods. The bright yellow coloring came from ʻōlena or turmeric, and the design on each cloak was made in the design of pewa patches. So much mana from PIDF staff went into the making of these kīhei, and we were honored to present them to the awardees.

The aloha casual event included a catered buffet dinner with dishes of sushi and hand-carved prime rib and more. Our guests enjoyed the raffle and silent auction, live music from local artists, and presentations by our Board Members and current president, Jan E. Hanohano Dill.

One of the crowning moments of the event besides the presentations of the Pewa awardees was the incredible story of a former program family. Brought together by our Ke Kama Pono adjudicated youth program, the Araki family spoke of unconditional love, second chances, and a fervent belief in a greater good. Learn more about how Deni Araki came to adopt one of our Ke Kama Pono boys here.

A special mahalo to the iHeart Media Group, the Kumuola Foundation, Big Island Delights, design asylum inc., Ka Paʻalana Homeless Family Education Program, the Mānoa Grand Ballroom, Paradise Beverages, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, Embroidery Ltd., the Palama ʻohana from Hanapēpē, and Danny Goya.

We would like to once again mahalo our outstanding partners, generous sponsors, honored guests, and wonderful staff for making the second annual Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards a great success! We look forward to hosting everyone again at next year’s Ulu Hana.

Kamuela Kahoano is a Hawaiian-born musician and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards winner and four-time nominee. Kamuela comes from a family of entertainers and is accomplished in both the ukulele and guitar. He has toured the U.S., Japan, and Australia.

Hui Malama is a trio of Hawaiian musicians John Baker, Ed Simeona, and Mack Kahumoku. Playing since 2014, the hui has done extensive volunteer work around Oʻahu including with Islands Hospice and Pohai Nani Good Samaritan. Hui Malama has performed at public and private events, including the Kakaʻako Farmers’ Market.

Mahalo to these wonderful musicians, and we look forward to kicking off the 2019 Ulu Hana: Pewa Awards this Friday, April 12th!