The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation

Inspired in Hawaiʻi “Acts of Kindness” Contest 2022

Lawena Toribio (Kūlana 1):

ʻO ka mua, nui koʻu mahalo i ka hiki ke komo i loko o kēia hoʻokūkū ʻo Acts of Kindness a me ka hiki ke lele i Oʻahu a hōʻike i koʻu mākaukau ma ke kākau pepa Pelekānia ʻana ma loko o koʻu hoʻonaʻauao piha ʻia ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi. Makemake wau e mahalo i nā kānaka a pau i kākoʻo iaʻu a i paipai iaʻu ma kaʻu kākau ʻana i ia pepa. Nui koʻu pūʻiwa i ka lanakila ʻana i ke kūlana mua, ʻaʻole no koʻu hilinaʻi ʻole i kaʻu mākau kākau akā i loko nō o kaʻu kālailai nui ʻana i loko o kēia pepa, nui ka poʻe mākaukau loa ma ke kākau pepa ʻana a puni ʻo Hawaiʻi a ma koʻu lohe no koʻu lanakila i kēia hoʻokūkū ua piha i ka hauʻoli a me ka haʻaheo i loko oʻu. Nui koʻu haʻaheo e kū ʻelele no kēia kula a ʻaʻole kēia he lanakila noʻu wale nō, akā he lanakila no Nāwahī a me ka ʻohana!

E huliāmahi kākou ma ka hōʻike ʻana i ko kākou ʻano Nāwahī ma nā pōʻaiapili a pau!

Naʻu nō me ka haʻaheo, 

Na Lawena Toribio

First Place:

First of all, I’m grateful that I entered this contest, “Acts of Kindness” and could go to Oʻahu and showcase my English writing skills although being fully educated in Hawaiian. I’d like to thank everyone who supported and encouraged me in writing my paper. I was so surprised to win first place, not because I'm not confident in myself and my writing skills but although I put a lot of thought into writing this paper, there are so many good writers in Hawaiʻi that are skilled at writing papers just like me and as soon as I heard I had won I was filled with joy and pride. I am so proud to represent this school, and this is not just a win for me, but for Nāwahī and my ʻohana! 

Let’s take every opportunity to join in together in the work to represent what we do at Nāwahī.

(Translation by KKamanā)

Kuʻumea Dunn-Agonias (Kūlana 2):

Ma ka hoʻomaka ʻana i kēia pāhana, ʻaʻole wau i ʻike e hōʻea ana i ka pae hope, ua pūʻiwa nō hoʻi wau. Ua ohohia a hoihoi loa wau i ka huakaʻi aku i Oʻahu a ʻike i ka poʻe a puni o ka mokuʻāina i like ka pae mākaukau ma ke kākau ʻana, a ua leʻaleʻa nō. Mahalo naʻe wau iā Kumu Koko no ka paipai ʻana i ka Papa 10 e komo ma kēia hoʻokūkū Acts of Kindness a me ka pahu ʻana i kāna mau haumāna e hana me ka maikaʻi i hiki. Ua haʻaheo nō wau i ke kū ʻelele no ke kula, a e lanakila ana i ke kūlana 2, a me ka lanakila o koʻu hoapapa i ke kūlana 1! Haʻaheo nō māua i ke kū ʻelele ʻana no Nāwahī. He mea nui ka lanakila ʻana ma ke kākau ʻana ma ka Pelekānia, ʻoiai he kula ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi piha kēia kula, a loaʻa ka poʻe kuhihewa i nā haumāna a manaʻo hemahema ka ʻōlelo Pelekānia. A ua pepehi nō māua ʻo Lawena i kelā mau manaʻo kuhihewa. 

E pepehi mau kākou i nā manaʻo kuhihewa no ko kākou poʻe ma ke kūpaʻa mau ʻano ma ko kākou ʻano he Nāwahī.

Naʻu nō me ka haʻaheo, 

na Kuʻumea Dunn-Agonias

Second Place: 

At the beginning of this project, I didn’t realize how things would turn out, I was so surprised! I was so enthusiastic and interested in going to Oʻahu to see everyone from across the state who were writers at the same level as mine. It was a lot of fun. Mahalo to Kumu Koko for her support and her encouraging the tenth grade class to enter the “Acts of Kindness” competition. She pushed us to do the best that we could. I was proud to represent Nāwahī. It is so important to win at writing in English, because we are a Hawaiian language medium school, and there are those who wrongly assume that we are not skilled in English. Lawena and I definitely proved them wrong.

Let’s continue to disprove misconceptions about our work and stay committed to our Nāwahī way.

(Translation by KKamanā)