On January 21st, communities across the United States marked the 9th annual National Day of Racial Healing (NDRH). This observance celebrates our shared values, builds common ground, and inspires collective action to heal and to build a more just world. Organizations and supporters nationwide honor NDRH by creating spaces for artistic expression, exploring historical narratives, and facilitating conversations about healing pathways toward racial equity for all. 

At Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center, Opportunity for Youth Action Hawaiʻi (OYAH) exemplifies these healing principles year-round. Through a powerful collaboration of nonprofit partners, OYAH delivers culturally-rooted, therapeutic programs that provide youth with essential resources to thrive. Our partnership includes Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE), Kinai ‘Eha, Partners in Development Foundation’s Kupa ‘Aina Farm, and we work with state partners Office of Youth Services and Olomana School. Together, we share one fundamental mission: to replace punitive policies and practices with restorative and healing-centered approaches rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems

Waʻa (Hawaiian Canoe) Project blessing with HYCF 

“I believe that our youth can be healers. You teach them to heal themselves, so they don’t need to ask… They know the recipe. They know what they gotta do, they just gotta be in the right place and mind and spiritual-being to do it.” 

Uncle Wayde Lee

The urgency of our work is clear: While Native Hawaiian youth represent 29% of Hawaiʻi’s population, they constitute 80% of detention cases and more than 60% of arrests and petitions. Many youth arriving at Kawailoa come directly from the justice system or life on the streets, carrying with them a survival mindset and searching for a safe place to discover their sense of self. In Hawaiian, puʻuhonua means “place of refuge” and “place of peace” – precisely what Kawailoa and OYAH strive to be for hundreds of Hawaiʻi’s youth each year. 

Kalo Paʻiʻai activity at Kawailoa’s YJAM event

Our collaborative approach provides comprehensive support through mental and behavioral health services, cultural healing opportunities, educational and employment training, networking, and job placements. Working alongside more than 50 cultural practitioners and community-based organizations, we help youth heal from past traumas while building the skills and confidence necessary for successful adult lives. Our programs span cultural healing practices, education, internship opportunities, certification workshops, community service, fitness classes, and more – offering multiple pathways to healing and restoration.  

Providing youth with the space to develop a connection to culture and ‘āina (the land) is one of the aspects that makes Kawailoa unique. On campus, the Kupa ʻAina Farm serves as a place of restoration and learning, guiding youth (and volunteers) to build a relationship with ʻāina. Through their Hoʻokanaka Cultural Diversion program, Kupa ʻAina highlights Hawaiian values to the duties completed around the farm. Kinai ʻEha works to restore a sense of purpose and identity within participants through cultural connection and protocols like ʻoli (chanting) and haʻakoa (dance of warriors), and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). RYSE further integrates these cultural practices by incorporating ‘oli (chanting), moʻolelo, and ʻāina work into their behavioral health services and education. 

Off Campus Site Visit to Kaʻala Farm – Returning kalo huli to the loʻi 

As one Kinai ‘Eha youth reflects: “Learning about culture is important for me… where you came from, how you guys evolved, and where you kind of started… because you can find that connection within yourself.” 

While the National Day for Racial Healing may be observed on January 21st, our commitment to this vital work continues every day. Building a robust network of resources to uplift and support the next generation of leaders remains our ongoing mission. By providing tools for healing from past traumas and promoting racial healing, we are investing in a brighter future for our youth.  

We invite you to join us in supporting racial healing and youth empowerment in Hawaiʻi. Whether through volunteering your time as a mentor, sharing cultural knowledge as a practitioner, or contributing to our programs, your involvement makes a difference. To learn more about partnership opportunities or to support our youth, visit wearekawailoa.org. Together, we can create more puʻuhonua – places of refuge and healing – for the next generation.