Na Wai Iwi Ola

Kumu Keala Ching is the Executive Director for Na Wai Iwi Ola, a foundation to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and practices through Hula protocol and ceremonies, the use and study of the Hawaiian language and by embracing the stories of our Kupuna past, present, and future.

Na Wai Iwi Ola:
Na Wai Iwi Ola - The Living Waters of our Ancestors was founded for the purpose of perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture and traditions. The mission for Na Wai Iwi Ola - to embrace the Hawaiian culture passed down by our kupuna by applying knowledge gained through hands-on education, Hawaiian language, and the Hawaiian culture and traditions. To focus on strengthening and developing the generational bridge between our youths and our kupuna in the West Hawaiyi community by providing a variety of programs and cultural exchanges. "E Malama i ke ayo a e yoi mau ka nayauao. He who takes his teachings and applies them increases his knowledge."

Na Wai Iwi Ola has a goal of providing the following vehicles to providing a strong base for the youth of West Hawaiyi through:

* Organizing a Youth Educational Camp at Keahuolu, Miloliyi, Waipiyo and Mahukona/Kawaiahae sharing hands-on arts & crafts that perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and knowledge of traditional practices as compared to modern day practices.

* Providing a vehicle of sharing through programs such as Hula Retreats that focuses on bringing our Kupuna and Hawaiian practitioners to the youth and kupuna of all cultures.

* Developing a West Hawaiyi Youth Theatrical Production using traditional Hawaiian moyolelo (stories) and newly composed stories that perpetuate the current living situation of a modern day/21st century Hawaiian expressed through Oli (chants) and Hula (dance).

Kumu Keala taught classes with the Kona Community Adult Education at Kealakehe High School, at Waikoloa Elementary School and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel

Currently, Kumu Keala works as a volunteer with different community organizations implementing Hawaiian culturally driven activities and educational programs for the youth of Kona, Na Wai Puna o Kona - Kupuna of Kona, promoting and developing an International Relationship traveling with students to Switzerland, Japan and New Zealand, and evening hula and chant classes at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Hotel, Kaniohale Community Center and Puyuhonua o Honaunau. Kumu Keala has been composing chants and songs of Hawaiyi Island using the ancient knowledge in a daily society situation and working on producing a book of chants, manayo and songs.

On behalf on Na Wai Iwi Ola, we would like to thank you all for your support during our trip to Japan. We share with you the beauty of Hawaiyi through the songs and chants of Hawaiyi, the dances of our children and the stories of our people and the Aloha Spirit modeled by each individual connected with Na Wai Iwi Ola. Your continued support to our educational travel requirements makes it possible for our students to travel, mahalo!