We Are Oceania (WAO)
We Are Oceania’s mission is to empower our Micronesian community to navigate success while honoring the integrity of our diverse heritage. - Jocelyn Howard, Program Director
The Micronesia region faces many challenges, such as U.S. militarization
and weapons testing, loss of land from rising ocean levels, and lack of a sustainable local food supply. An estimated 15,000 to 17,000 people have left their homes in search of a better life for themselves and their families here in Hawai‘i. Through an initial pilot grant awarded by the Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, Partners in Development Foundation serves as the mentor organization for We Are Oceania. We Are Oceania (WAO) was created by a core group of Micronesian leaders and stakeholders in Hawai‘i whose aim is to advocate for the overall health and wellbeing of Micronesian people and communities. We Are Oceania is a unique organization. Their one-stop shop at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Kalihi is dedicated to the needs of the Micronesian community and offers a myriad of services. WAO’s services include translating documents, help finding employment, housing assistance, health insurance and welfare enrollment, and obtaining legal assistance where necessary. The name “We Are Oceania” is rooted in the history of the indigenous people who navigated the vast North Pacific — today known as Micronesia. It honors the role of the ocean in binding these islands together rather than separating them, and providing abundant resources instead of depriving us of them.
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