HILO, HI – July 11, 2017 – Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi (HMONO) is pleased to announce an award from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) ‘Ahahui Grants program. The grant of $6,500 will support The First Annual Mālama Nā Keiki Festival. The event addresses the need for more prenatal education and aims to promote prenatal, children’s, and family health. The Mālama Nā Keiki Festival will be held at Naʻālehu Park, Ka‘ū, Hawai‘i Island, on Saturday, August 26, 2017, from 9am to 1pm. Participants can enjoy a festival of health education, community resources, and interactive keiki activities. The festival is FREE and open to the public. First-time mothers, women considering pregnancy, young families, and supporting ‘ohana from across the county are encouraged to attend.
Hawai‘i Island family health agencies will participate in the event to share about their services. Participants will have the chance to learn about local prenatal, postnatal, and keiki health services available to their families. Clinical health screenings will also be offered for expectant mothers, keiki, and ‘ohana include hearing screenings, vision tests, immunizations, and prenatal education. It will be a family fun day with keiki activities and local healthy food available to all participants!
The Mālama Nā Keiki Festival will launch HMONO’s island-wide prenatal cohort program. Each prenatal cohort is paired with a HMONO Health Educator and meets monthly, in their regional area, for hands-on learning about maternity health and wellness practices. Interested women can sign up for the cohorts at the festival!
With the generous support of the OHA ‘Ahahui Grants program, HMONO can further help the community to develop a strong network of prenatal and postnatal support, and learn best practices to prevent potential health problems, raise healthy happy children, strengthen family, and fulfill OHA and HMONO’s shared goal of a strong and healthy Hawaiian nation.