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Island Youth

The keiki and `opio of Molokai

Molokai Robotics Wins Valley Isle VEX Tournament

Thursday, December 18th, 2025

Molokai Robotics Wins Valley Isle VEX Tournament

Community Contributed. By Edwin Mendija

Molokai Robotics opened its 2025-2026 season with a decisive win at the Maui High School Valley Isle VEX Tournament, overcoming a major pre-event crisis to secure multiple top awards and end a six-year championship drought.

Just hours before the event, the team’s robots were delayed during interisland transport and failed to arrive with the team. The machines reached Maui only on the morning of the tournament, forcing an urgent scramble to assemble, calibrate and prepare them minutes before the opening match.

Competing in this year’s game, VEX Push Back, Molokai fielded three teams: high school groups 1037C and 1037X, and the new middle school team, 1037M.…

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Planting the Seeds of Sustainability

Thursday, December 11th, 2025

Planting the Seeds of Sustainability

By Léo Azambuja

Four high-school students recently discussed challenges in Molokai’s food system at an informal meeting at Molokai Public Library. They stressed the importance of local food production, self-sufficiency and educational programs. 

Kilohana Meyer emphasized sustainable farming practices. Max Sakamoto highlighted entrepreneurial efforts using local produce. Mark Ragonton discussed culinary initiatives. Leila Pereira talked about farming entrepreneurship and waste diversion from the landfill.

They also noted the need for grants, mentorship and community support to foster young farmers and entrepreneurs at the forum hosted by the Molokai Baháʻí Community in collaboration with the library Nov. 19.

“I’d like to see Molokai completely independent (from off-island food suppliers),” Pereira said.…

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Creepin’ It Real on Halloween

Thursday, November 6th, 2025

Creepin’ It Real on Halloween

By Léo Azambuja

Oh, the irony! On the scariest day of the year, the children had absolutely no fear. It was them who walked around Kaunakakai spreading terror. Grownup witches better have their candy. Or something wicked may come their way. 

Perhaps in a foolish attempt to stave off panic and chaos, or maybe just to offer the kids a free event that was a skele-ton of fun, the Friends of Molokai Public Library revived the popular Halloween Costume Contest on the lawn in front of the library Oct 31.

“The Lions Club used to have the costume contest every year, but once we had COVID, they stopped,” FOL president Joan Howard said.…

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Food Summit Celebrates Youth in Agriculture

Thursday, October 23rd, 2025

Food Summit Celebrates Youth in Agriculture

By Léo Azambuja
The Molokai Youth Food Summit underscored the importance of getting the youth interested in agriculture. At least 85% of Hawaii’s food is imported, so a key aspect of lessening Molokai’s food dependency on the mainland in the future could be in the youth’s hands.
“Youth is important in agriculture, because they’re going to be our future. We’re going to be standing up and we’re going to be doing what’s right for the world,” Molokai High School student Francis Leo Bumatay said. “If we don’t start now, or if we don’t care about the plants or the ground that we have, what do we have after that?”…

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Kualapuʻu ʻOhana Fun Fair

Thursday, October 23rd, 2025

Kualapuʻu ʻOhana Fun Fair

By Léo Azambuja
Pristine blue skies begging for a trip to the beach, plus a handful of simultaneous events happening across Molokai, did not deter hundreds of people from coming to the 12th Annual ʻOhana Fun Fair at Kualapuʻu School Saturday morning.
“We wanted to have a community event that was specifically here, and have everybody come around from across the island to enjoy free activities like the horseback rides, the water slides, the photo booth, pumpkin patch,” event organizer Kui Adolpho said.
The school campus was crowded all morning. Adolpho said she estimated between 700 and 900 people coming and going during the event.…

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Planting Pilina: Maunaloa Students Connect to Culture through Kalo

Thursday, September 11th, 2025

Planting Pilina: Maunaloa Students Connect to Culture through Kalo

Communiy contributed
By ʻIolani Kuoha, Maunaloa Elementary School Temporary Vice Principal

At Maunaloa Elementary School, the foundation of learning is rooted not only in books and lessons, but also in ʻāina. On a recent morning filled with mana and mud, every student had the opportunity to plant their own kalo, participating in a powerful cultural and educational experience made possible through the generosity of our community.
Thanks to the support of local kalo farmer Josh Pastrana, students were introduced to a variety of kalo; moi, ʻeleʻele naioea and kapaʻaloa. Students also learned about the deeper meaning of Haloa — the first child of Wākea and Hoʻohōkūkalani in the Kumulipo — and the spiritual elder sibling to kanaka.…

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He Ēwe Molokaʻi in the Cook Islands – Part 2: Atiu, Enua Manu

Thursday, September 4th, 2025

He Ēwe Molokaʻi in the Cook Islands – Part 2: Atiu, Enua Manu

Community Contributed
By Keawaiki Madela
Atiu, one of the southern Cook Islands, is a small and close-knit island known as Enua Manu — the land of the birds. It is the third largest of the Cooks, about 28 square kilometers, with a population of just over 400 people. The island is home to five main villages: Teenui, Mapumai, Ngatiarua, Areora and Tengatangi.
Upon arrival, our group was greeted with a warm welcome and introduced to the tradition of pātai. A pātai is a formal village welcome, where the community gathers to offer food, speeches, and songs to honor visitors. We experienced three such welcomes — Teenui Village Pātai, Atiu Enua Village Pātai, and Areora Village Pātai — and at each stop we were fed abundantly.…

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Junior Youth Group Honors Firefighters

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

Junior Youth Group Honors Firefighters

By Paul Hanley

Members of a Junior Youth Empowerment Program, ages 11-14, wanted to find ways to serve the community. They started with a trash pick-up at the wharf a few weeks ago and then decided they wanted to thank firefighters on Molokai for their service.

On Friday, Aug. 15, the kids had a holiday from school, so they met to bake cookies and then packed them up to take them to each of the fire departments on the island at Hoʻolehua, Kaunakakai and Pukoʻo. At each station, they met some of the firefighters, learned how they do their work and how they live while on duty.…

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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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