A Postcard From KAMP
She has watched firsthand as the students who have participated in KAMP have excelled when it comes to problem solving, and it has made her students much more well-rounded, even students you would not ordinarily worry about.
“We have kids who are very smart. They can do all this stuff on their own, but they can’t work in groups,” says Souza. “They do real well all through school and then they get out, and when they get into the world they can’t function because they are smart but they can’t work with other people.”
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Aaron Kamau (center) grew up in Kalihi and knows the risks youth face. In response he created KAMP, which promotes teamwork while giving kids confidence in their own abilities. Teachers say the results are amazing.
Row 1 Michele Kamau, Paula Telles, Gabby Maualaivao, Kauanani Mailou, Aaron Kamau, Hailey Faleunga, Grichelle Domingo Row 2 Stephanie Aiona, Aaron Kamau, Jr., George Kamau, Elroy Chong, Eddie Hayashi, Danny Kaleikini, Brittany Kamau, Joseph Vierra, Jr., Sharon Souza, Bert Carter, Mary Kamau Row 3 Ashley Kamau, David Pila, Glenn Goya, Linda Wong, Tyler Tokioka, Randall Okimoto, Shayna-lyn Mailou-Miller, Ben Kamau | Nathalie Walker photo nwalker@midweek.com
Learning to work with other people started from the home as the Kamau children have found they love to help Dad in his work.
“I love to empower our youths to facilitate our life mentoring program, and what better place than at home with my children?,” says Kamau. “My children have learned to mentor at-risk youths, mentor our youth staff, help with our special event, be responsible for our program equipment. They are always the first ones to arrive for our program and special events and the last ones to leave.”
The program’s physical component also has had a lasting impact, according to principal Shannon Goo of Lincoln Elementary.
“Obesity and healthy living has been a challenge for many students,” says Goo, who had 200 students a week participate. “This program has helped us to expose students to an active lifestyle in a fun way. Interacting with each other in a fun and active way is impactful, yet the mentoring that takes place has a lasting effect on student behavior.”
Their “Pride and Victory” enrichment days have started for the summer, with a new batch of mentors heading all over the Island with the hopes of impacting more than 5,000 kids this summer.
All the programs are free. Funds are raised to help offset the cost of the programs by Aloha United Way, which recently approved KAMP as a Partner Agency; Island Insurance Foundation and the aforementioned NFL Foundation.
This backing, though still needing more, has allowed them to begin new programs such as Anti-Bullying Lunchtime.
In it they use positive activities for students to help discourage fighting and eliminate negative activities among students during their mealtime.
They use a series of COPE courses (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) to help bring these messages home, and it is seeing the effects of this message on kids that tells Kamau he made the right decision when he left the Scouts.
“It was about getting to work with flesh and blood, and not having to live up to Mainland standards,” says Kamau, who has crafted his system to appeal directly to local kids. “We don’t have to go reach 20,000 kids. It’s about the heart, the passion for kids.”
