Not child's play: Kids of Hawaii Nei looking to make a difference

Eight years ago, a group of Konawaena High School students created
The Kids of Hawaii Nei to provide a safe haven for their peers and
their families dealing with substance abuse and other issues.

Now, the nonprofit organization is back with a renewed focus. It is
seeking a new generation of members and volunteers who dream of
making a difference in their community.

The group needs help with its free fun run and walk event, featuring
music, activities and information booths, May 15 at Konawaena High. A
fundraising dinner, created by the school's culinary arts program,
and a sock hop in the gym will follow. A meeting is scheduled from 10
a.m. to noon today inside Konawaena High's agriculture building.

The Kids of Hawaii Nei founders have now grown up. Most attended or
are in college while others have moved away. However, the problems
they diligently sought to address still remain. In 2002, they had
seen the devastating effects of crystal methamphetamine, teenage
pregnancy, underage drinking, violence and high school dropouts daily.

That year, the South Kona and Ka'u districts had the highest rate of
crystal meth use per capita in the nation. Another disheartening fact
for the students was their school had high dropout and teenage
pregnancy rates, said Dick Choy, mentor and executive director of The
Kids of Hawaii Nei.

These Konawaena students were sometimes viewed as "squares from the
coffee lands" by their peers because they were more interested in
attending college and "staying straight." Still they remained
passionate about not becoming hopeless and did their best in
addressing these issues. They also strove to re-establish traditional
family values deemed lost, provide alternatives to drugs by offering
educational and recreational programs, promote health and wellness,
and revitalize Hawaiian art and culture, Choy said.

At first, the founders attended annual summits on crystal meth. While
the speeches by government officials and experts were enjoyable, they
felt nothing positive resulted in their community. This led the group
to start The Kids of Hawaii Nei, Choy said.

Over the years, the founders and their mentors worked with various
community groups to create "a modern day Puuhonua," a place where
children had a voice, could get away from danger, restore their
self-worth, learn about prevention and engage in family-friendly
activities, Choy said.

"We want to pass this idea onto other kids and keep the original
vision alive. We brought the program back to the Konawaena School
Complex because this is where the kids' vision was first conceived.
We want to create and make available positive programs and
opportunities that build self-esteem and worth among the youth," he
said. "In the process, we plan to work closely with parents,
teachers, businesses, community members and the judicial system to
help turn failing students into good members of our community before
they lose hope and fall into drug use. This can be accomplished by
capturing their imagination and channeling their energy toward things
of value to do."

To get involved or for more information, call Choy at 896-6863 or Dr.
Gary Uriu, steering committee member, at 323-3208.