Mana Wahine Hope
Aloha is not pain. Break the silence and reclaim your sacred power.
Ke Kū nei ka wahine i ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, he lāʻau lapaʻau kēlā. For a wahine in truth is healing medicine for us all.
E ho‘opau i ka hilahila. In safe spaces, shame dies and mana grows.
Our values guide us:
- Aloha is safety.
- Truth is medicine.
- Protection is a kuleana we share.
- You are not broken, you are sacred.
THE REALITY
Breaking the Silence
Survivors often face profound challenges and negative perceptions that hinder healing. In our community, silence has been a heavy burden, often mistaken for strength or cultural preservation. These challenges include the isolation and stigma that occur when a survivor’s mana is not protected but questioned. We recognize that the true problem lies in the systems and beliefs that allow violence to hide behind cultural values that never intended for pain. To heal, we must first name the reality of these challenges with compassion and direct honesty. Aloha is safety, and silence is no longer an option when it comes to the safety of our wahine.
The Stakes for Our Community
When we remain silent, the cycles of trauma persist, affecting not just individuals but the very fabric of our community. Inaction allows shame to take root where healing should grow. By ignoring the urgency of these issues, we risk the safety and mana of future generations. It is a shared kuleana to break these barriers, ensuring that every survivor finds a safe space to reclaim their sacred power and that our culture remains a source of protection and truth.
Our Belief
Aloha is Safety.
Understanding Stigma; Breaking the Myths
Silence as 'Safety'
The misconception that keeping domestic violence a 'private family matter' protects the dignity of the ohana, when in reality it only isolates the survivor further.
The Burden of Shame
Survivors often carry a misplaced sense of 'hilahila' (shame), believing that speaking out will bring dishonor to their community or culture.
Systemic Distrust
A deep-seated fear that seeking help from outside agencies may lead to cultural misunderstanding or further traumatization by insensitive systems.
Mana Wahine: Reclaiming Our Sacred Strength
Our campaign is a culturally rooted movement designed to dismantle the silence surrounding domestic violence within our indigenous communities. By centering the Hawaiian values of Aloha and Kuleana, we provide safe spaces where shame is replaced by collective healing. Our goal is to empower every survivor to reclaim their sacred mana, ensuring that truth becomes the medicine that heals our families and protects the generations to come.
Rooted in Community
This narrative is primarily for the indigenous women and girls of Hawaiʻi, specifically those living within the Puna district and across Hawaiʻi Island. We also speak to the community leaders, kumu, and families who hold the kuleana of protection. Our goal is to reach those currently experiencing violence, those who have walked the path of survival, and the systems of support that must be culturally informed to truly heal.
85% Safe Passage
The Impact of our advocacy has provided direct safe passage and intervention for survivors in Puna, reducing immediate harm and reclaiming safety as a shared kuleana.
150+ Voices Reclaimed
Change begins when silence breaks. Through our peer support circles, over 150 wahine have transformed their stigma into cultural power and found truth as medicine.
Lōkahi Restored
We bridge the gap between trauma and healing, working through Ho‘oponopono to restore balance within families and ensure our cultural integrity remains sacred and protected.
Who are we?
He Ho‘omaka Hou Ana o Puna brings a unique, indigenous-led perspective to healing. Rooted in the Puna district of Hawai‘i Island, our organization operates through the sacred values of Lokahi and Ho‘oponopono. We understand the specific cultural nuances and historical context that survivors in our community face. By providing safe spaces where shame is replaced by mana, we offer more than just support—we offer a path to reclaiming sacred power that is deeply respected and culturally relevant.
He Hoʻomaka Hou Ana o Puna works in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. To explore their mission to uplift our islands, visit www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org
