PUHI — Desaray Saito Brown said a mother’s love never dies as she handed Laheo Salazar a stack of Aloha Aina gift cards at the Waialeale Project office at Kaua‘i Community College.
PUHI — Desaray Saito Brown said a mother’s love never dies as she handed Laheo Salazar a stack of Aloha Aina gift cards at the Waialeale Project office at Kaua‘i Community College.
“It’s been seven years since Keanu passed,” Saito Brown said. “A mother’s love never goes away. But we’re moving forward. I try to do something on Keanu’s anniversary.”
Salazar said she remembers Keanu.
“He was a really good student,” she said. “He was with the seventh cohort and did all of the photographing for us. This must be the special number — seven — because this is the seventh anniversary of his passing, he was part of the seventh cohort, and Desaray didn’t realize that 70 cards has the number ‘seven’ in it.”
Saito Brown said the gift cards have undisclosed values on them because the Waialeale Pr0ject can use them for a variety of projects ranging from prizes to urgent need.
“We trust Lahea to use the cards to uplift students,” Saito Brown said. “We never want students to feel they’re all alone. We’re always here.”
Salazar said the Waialeale Project and Kipaipai are enjoying the best year since starting in 2010.
“We have 120 students in the Waialeale Project and Kipaipai from 235 applications that were turned in,” Salazar said. “Waialeale Project is celebrating 15 years, and Kipaipai is celebrating 10 years.”
Both projects are geared toward Native Hawaiian and Niihau residents.
The biggest differentiation is that the Waialeale Project is to help non-college bound high school students and adults.
“The Kipaipai program is to help college-bound students,” Salazar said. “These are the students that have application forms filled, taken the college preparatory course and have an intention of continuing on to college after high school graduation.”
