habelefund Scholarships

Tuition scholarships highlight American-Micronesian ties

Individual Americans have pooled private donations to help promising students in Micronesia attend the island nation’s top performing independent schools.

Habele, a US nonprofit established by former Peace Corps Volunteers, has awarded merit and needs-based tuition scholarships since 2006. It is the only US nonprofit exclusively focused on serving students and schools within the Federated States.

Thirty-seven complete, on-time applications from across Micronesia were received ahead of the June 30th annual submission deadline. Based on the money raised from individual donors Habele was able to award twenty-five tuition scholarships to students attending eight different elementary and high schools in three FSM states.

Checks for the scholarships have been mailed to the schools, and families will be also be notified by mail.

“We are tremendously proud of the scholarship recipients, and take great satisfaction to report that scholars’ grades in 2020-21 were some of the highest since we started the program in 2006,” explained Habele founder Neil Mellen. “There were also four 2020-21 scholars who completed their secondary studies this spring. Those students were Cassandra Hagiltaw at Pohnpei Catholic, Crystal Ruerngun Loochaz and Shereeca Pairui at Yap SDA, and Maselyann “MC” Suemog Yangr at Yap Catholic High School.”

In the spring, Maselyann, a Habele scholar since 2016, wrote to Habele about the importance of the program. “I am grateful for your help in achieving my goals. You have helped me to stay in school, and now I am only two months away from graduating high school. I am very thankful to have gotten the chance to make it this far with a great education and a school community that has become my second family and home.”

Maselyann graduated YCHS with nearly all “A’s” on her final report card and is now headed to the University of Guam, where she will pursue a degree in chemistry.

Among the twenty-five scholarships awarded are three Memorial Scholarships. These are a special type of Habele K12 tuition grant. They honor the legacy of Americans whose life or work demonstrated exceptional commitment to the people of Micronesia, and embodied the best of the longstanding US-Micronesian partnership. These include the Lee Huddleston, Dr. Marshall Wees, and Leona Peterson Memorial Scholarships.

“I saw first-hand the amazing results of Habele’s efforts throughout Micronesia, reaching students at the grassroots level, even on the most remote of the outer islands,” observed Ambassador Robert A. Riley, formerly the US Ambassador to Micronesia and now a Director at the East-West Center, a think tank in Hawaii. “Habele fulfills a unique and critical role in FSM’s development.”

“The name “HABELE” is a wish come true for our children,” explained Lazarus Ulith in a note sent in with a student’s report card last month. He observed the nonprofit’s name is itself a play on words meaning both the future tense of “to be” and more figuratively “to achieve an ambition.” “You make it a reality which is why you make a difference in their future” said Ulith.

Those interested in learning more can apply, or support the program online at www.habele.org
###

habelefund Weaving

Micronesian Looms: Weaving Connections in the US (3)

This is the third in a series of posts dealing with Weaving Connections, a project of Habele to sustain and preserve Micronesian backstrap weaving traditions among Island populations who’ve migrated to the United States mainland. More here

Development of Initial Prototypes
First, Habele fabricated a scale model, and then a full-size initial specimen, of a warping board and a framed loom was fabricated. Similarly, each of the peripheral weaving tools was obtained, crafted, or assembled. This allowed the master weaver, now joined by a former Peace Corps Volunteer skilled in both Carolinian and Western-style weaving, to begin testing the models.

 

Habele and our craftsman carefully observed and documented the weaving process in an effort to identify the practical purpose for each piece of equipment and material identifying each context of how -and if- substitutions or alterations could be made that would not impair, and possibly improve, the weaver’s work.

 

An initial round of changes and improvements were made that allowed for stronger joints, simpler cuts, and the use of smaller (less expensive) boards for the frame. Similar adjustments were made to the board design, as well as revisions to account for varied weaver preferences in the use of the warping board on either a floor or a table top. Each of the fifteen peripheral components, or “weaving tools”, were either crafted or purchased, and substitutions, modifications, and improvements were tested by the weavers.
Review and Refinement of Designs
At this point, there emerged a bifurcation in the scope and purpose of the design:

 

On one hand, very simple designs would allow FAS migrants within the US to produce the board, frame, and most peripherals necessary for weaving themselves, even with a limited budget and few woodworking tools;

 

On the other hand, improvements to design would allow large pieces, notably the loom frame and the warping board, to be easily collapsed for storage and transportation. These were significant attributes for weavers living in more crowded housing situations and moving with some regularity (both important considerations for our target audience). A strong preference was voiced by many weavers in all locales for these traits, but the use of hinges, clasps, and threaded studs with removable wingnuts added complexity to the building of the equipment. This was at odds with our goal to simplify that process.
Broadly, Habele adopted a two-track response. Some of the initial prototypes were retrofitted for easier transportation and storage, and some of the newer prototypes were fabricated with these characteristics from the start. The designs for the fixed, standard models were revised slightly to allow for modifications at any point, allowing the builder to choose the level of complexity based on budget and access to tools and equipment.

 

This is the third in a series of posts dealing with Weaving Connections, a project of Habele to sustain and preserve Micronesian backstrap weaving traditions among Island populations who’ve migrated to the United States mainland. More here