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Island Youth

The keiki and `opio of Molokai

Poi Poundahs Place 3rd in National Soccer Tournament

Thursday, August 7th, 2025

Poi Poundahs Place 3rd in National Soccer Tournament

By Léo Azambuja
In most fairy tales, girls wear princess dresses or crystal shoes. They may dance or sing, and wear a crown. But in this Molokai fairy tale, the girls wear soccer jerseys and cleats. They dribble, kick and scream. The have medals.
They are the Molokai Poi Poundahs, a soccer team of girls who aren’t 14 years old yet, and placed third in the AYSO National Games 2025 in California in July.
“This was the first time that the girls (from) Molokai ever went out of state to play soccer,” assistant coach Naomi Bicoy said.
Being on national stage meant a lot for the Poi Poundahs players, she said.…

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End of Summer Fair at the Library

Thursday, August 7th, 2025

End of Summer Fair at the Library

By Léo Azambuja
The Friends of Molokai Public Library organized a fun end-of-summer event for the keiki on the lawn fronting the library last Saturday. While summer is officially only half-way through — it ends Sept. 22 — to schoolchildren, it’s already over: school’s first day was Aug. 4.
“This is called the End of Summer Fair,” FOL secretary Kayla Guerrero said. “The library had a reading challenge during the summer, and we just wanted some kind of fun way to end the summer for the kids.”
There were several different game booths spread throughout the library’s grounds. To cool off from the day’s heat, locally made Ono Ono Scoops sherbets were available for $2 a cup.…

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Ho‘aka Mana’s Program Strengthens Laka Connection

Thursday, July 17th, 2025

Ho‘aka Mana’s Program Strengthens Laka Connection

By Léo Azambuja
More than a dozen children spent two days at Molokai Public Library last week, planting several Native Hawaiian plant species around the property. But the purpose wasn’t to beautify the 88-year-old historic building; it was part of Ola O Laka, a program to strengthen Native Hawaiian identity.
“It’s a program that we created to honor Laka. Laka is the native forest. As Native Hawaiians, we are just trying to revitalize it, bring more education around it, but specifically the connection to Laka,” Ho‘aka Mana executive director Kanoe Davis said. “She is all things hula, and she is all things forest.”…

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11th Annual Keiki Fishing Tournament

Thursday, July 17th, 2025

11th Annual Keiki Fishing Tournament

By Léo Azambuja
It appears the fish had no chance at Maurice Point last Saturday. With about 160 young fishermen — some skilled, some beginners — competing for prizes at a children’s fishing tournament, hundreds of fish were hooked over the weekend. Most, however, were returned to the ocean.
“It’s a catch and release (tournament),” said Robert Kalawe Jr., founder and organizer of the Annual Keiki Fishing Tournament. He added it is important to teach catch-and-release to children because it teaches them conservation at a young age, and also how to give back to the ocean.
Armed with bamboo poles distributed by the organization, every child had the same chance of catching the biggest fish when the 11th edition of the free tournament kicked off July 12 at 10 a.m.…

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Kids Learn While Restoring Hawaiian Fishponds

Thursday, July 10th, 2025

Kids Learn While Restoring Hawaiian Fishponds

By Léo Azambuja

Armed with aloha and good intentions, a group of children removed thousands of pounds of invasive species plus some debris from a loko i‘a, or Hawaiian fishpond, on Molokai’s south shore last week. 

“Yesterday, they removed invasive species, gorilla ogo, because we have a lot of gorilla ogo on the south shore of Molokai. And then today, we were just taking all the fence that was located by the second makaha (wooden gate),” said Tiani Cook, executive director of the nonprofit organization Ka Honua Momona.

About 15 children enrolled on Maui Economic Development’s summer program worked at the Kaloko‘eli fishpond in Kamiloloa last week.…

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Girls Soccer Team Brings Home Silver

Thursday, July 3rd, 2025

Girls Soccer Team Brings Home Silver

By Léo Azambuja
A Molokai girls soccer team had some extra weight in their luggage when they returned from a tournament in Hilo, Big Island last month. After clinching a spot in the finals, the team came home with silver medals following a close game against a tough Californian team.
“It was a good, close game. We lost two to zero. The girls played really well,” Molokai Poi Pounders head coach Kathy Puhi said of the finals game against Menifee — a California team — at the Volcano International Soccer Tournament June 20-22.
The Poi Pounders is an AYSO recreational-level soccer team made of 12-to-13-year-old girls.…

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Free Football Camp Gives Back to Molokai

Thursday, July 3rd, 2025

Free Football Camp Gives Back to Molokai

By Léo Azambuja
Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning — one of the greatest football players ever — once said “the most valuable player is the one who makes the most players valuable.” The Akana family does just that: they have been hosting a free kids football clinic on Molokai for the last five years to give back to their community.
“We were raised here on Molokai. There are 10 siblings, eight boys, two girls. We have all since moved,” Ry Akana said of him and his siblings, who now live on the Mainland and in Honolulu. “But Molokai has done so much for us on the athletic front that we felt like we needed to give back.”…

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Molokai Students Receive ‘Coach H’ Scholarship

Thursday, June 19th, 2025

Molokai Students Receive ‘Coach H’ Scholarship

By Léo Azambuja
The Lo‘i Collective Foundation presented the Coach H Scholarship to two Molokai High School graduates. Each student received a $500 award, given to one male and one female athlete, intended to go toward their college or career training goals.
Class of 2025 graduates Chloe Tancayo and Reyn Raguindin, with a grade point average of 3.75 and 3.67 respectively, were awarded the scholarships during a ceremony at MHS gym, The Barn, last Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
“I want to thank the Lo‘i Foundation for the Coach H scholarship because it will help me buy the supplies and equipment I need for my first year of college,” Raguindin said.…

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4-H Teaches Leadership, Responsibilities to Children

Thursday, June 19th, 2025

4-H Teaches Leadership, Responsibilities to Children

By Léo Azambuja
Several children of all ages showcased their animals during the annual 4-H Club Expo in Kualapu‘u earlier this month.
“It’s a youth development program,” club leader Lane Kamakana said. “We try to develop leadership, responsibility and life skills; and that’s the biggest point of our whole program.”
The 4-H season begun in November, when the kids started showing up for monthly meetings, according to Kamakana, a 4-H program alumni.
“Our steer project started in December, our swine project started in March, and our Clover Bud project started in April,” he said.
Thirty three kids showcased their animals at Lanikeha Community Center on June 7, in an event that started at 9 a.m.…

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Waialua Keiki Surf Contest Kicks Off Season

Thursday, June 12th, 2025

Waialua Keiki Surf Contest Kicks Off Season

By Léo Azambuja
A handful of children competed in the Molokai Keiki `O Ke Kai surfing contest in Waialua Beach last Saturday. The contest was the first in a series of four, which will ultimately qualify the overall top scorers to compete on Oahu next spring.
“At the end of the season, after the spring season closes, there is a state championship on Oahu, and our children are guaranteed slots in the semifinals,” event coordinator Malia Waits said.
She said six families showed up for the contest. About 10 kids got in the water, but only five decided to compete in the season’s opener.…

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