H.O.P.E. Camp Brings Together Children Who've Experienced Loss 2024-09-05 H.O.P.E. Camp Brings Together Children Who've Experienced LossWhen the Akina boys were younger, their biological father walked away from the family due to legal issues, leaving their mother to raise them alone in Molokai. Now 11 and 14, the boys grapple with the emotional impact of their father’s absence, while their mother, a strong, kind-hearted woman, does everything she can to love and support her boys during their adolescence.The Akinas recently participated in H.O.P.E. Camp, where they found other families with similar trials — loss through death, incarceration, and other circumstances. H.O.P.E. Camp, organized by Liliʻuokalani Trust, takes place every summer on the Trust's land at Halepaʻo, Hawaiʻi Island.It is part of a broader initiative called H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Emerge), which aids kamaliʻi and their ʻohana through the grieving process. The Trust, which offers H.O.P.E. year-round through in-person and virtual group sessions, has transformed many lives across the pae ʻāina.At this year’s camp, families like the Akinas built pilina (relationships) with one another. The children enjoyed beach activities, storytime, waterplay, and traditional games like kūkui top spinning. Adults participated in a support group, leisure activities, and cultural experiences like lei-making and lauhala weaving. “I forgot how to smile,” says a participant. “Being here, it was contagious.”Teammates from the Trust attended the camp to support the more than 60 participants. Says a mother of young keiki, “I was grateful for the time I got to spend with my children."The camp’s theme, ʻO ʻOe Kuʻu Lama: Light & Legacy, comes from a lyric in Queen Liliʻuokalani’s Ke Aloha O Ka Haku, the “Queen's Prayer” she composed while imprisoned at ʻIolani Palace in 1895.ʻO ʻOe Kuʻu Lama means “you are my light” and refers to the akua (a Spirit or God) on which the Queen relied, during her darkest hours. The camp’s activities centered on this “light.”To honor loved ones, the children crafted paper lanterns, illuminated with votives during sundown. They also learned about the “Bowl of Light,” a moʻolelo (story) comparing grief to a pōhaku (rock) which, if not removed, can prevent one's light from shining in their bowl. The camp introduced kapu kai (a spiritual cleanse) to promote healing and acknowledge collective kaumaha (grief). Five times each, the participants immersed themselves in the ocean to symbolically purify spirits and set new intentions. A participant felt rejuvenated after the kapu kai ceremony. “It was not easy to come to spaces with what you carry,” she says. “My kids reminded me to release everything and give the ʻike (awareness) to them, and take care of myself. That burden was lifted.” Participants drew strength from one another — and many families exchanged contact information to continue staying in touch.“I am so grateful to have a family that I can call who understands me,” a parent says. “Thank you for giving me new brothers and sisters and our ʻohana extended. We can help one another!”To learn more about H.O.P.E., please call the Mālama Line at 808-466-8080. ********************************************************************************************RELATED STORIES:Families Find Healing Through H.O.P.E.