PROJECTS
HISTORY LOCATION
VOLUNTEERS CONTACTS
Waan
Aelõñ
In Majel
(Canoes of the Marshall Islands) or WAM is a non-profit
organization. The WAM program is a vocational training program
using traditional Marshallese skills for men and women — such as canoe
building,
traditional and contemporary boat building, sail-races
and navigation, woodworking
and weaving — as a medium to transfer needed life skills and capacity
building to the youth of the Marshall Islands. The Waan Aelõñ
In Majel (WAM program links with the Ministry of Education (MOE), College of
the Marshall Islands (CMI), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other
organizations and agencies in order to maximize skills training and capacity
building for these youth at risk.
The
program raises public awareness, while transferring knowledge and
appreciation of Marshallese culture. Through
the project, unique Marshallese skills such as outrigger canoe building,
maintenance, sailing and navigation will be kept alive.
WEA
links with international organizations concerned with skills such as
outrigger canoes and navigation to promote their use, while building bridges
across cultures.
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PROJECTS
BOAT
BUILDING SCHOOL
Model Making
FIBERGLASS CANOES 
OUTREACH
PROGRAM
SAILING
AND SAIL RACES
Sail
races
Charters
BOAT
BUILDING SCHOOL
WOODWORKING
In
January 2000 the program began the first training with a Master canoe
Builder and 4 young men while building a traditional Tipñõl (mid-size)
canoe from local materials. In May, to show comparison of the two building
techniques, our advisor began construction of a 23.5’ United Nations FAO
designed canoe using contemporary materials and techniques.
Trainees
chopping away on the Jouj log
After
launching the first 23’ tipñõl in November 2000, the program
continued training in the sailing and maintenance of the first canoe. In
addition, the group of trainees began rebuilding an old fishing kõrkõr.
In January 2001, 4 new trainees entered the program to begin building a
second traditional canoe, a racing korkor.
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Model
Making
Started
as a pilot project accomplished in the mid-nineties WAM sees the popularity of
an accurate and very high quality scale model canoes. Canoe models are sold all
over the world to museums, schools and individual collectors.
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FIBERGLASS CANOES
The
Asian Development Bank is funding the construction of a fiberglass shop which
relates directly to more youth being trained, more boat building orders and
greater potential employment opportunities. A unique operation in the RMI,
promoting sustainable economic development while moving the culture and
tradition into a modern set of economic circumstances. The integration of
contemporary boat building into the program ensures its success as the income
generation of fiberglass boat building will sustain the program in the long
term.
In
the past months the trainees completed the mold for a 24 ft. fiberglass
catamaran that will be completed for Ailuk Atoll.
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OUTREACH
PROGRAM
VISITORS
An
ongoing element in the training is the exposure and experience the trainees get
with visitors coming to the training program. These visitors include tourists
and the general public, but the largest numbers are students from all of the
primary and secondary schools.
Students
from the Public Elementary School in Majuro
DEMONSTRATIONS
IN SCHOOLS
“training the trainees to be trainers”
In
2000, the program started “unofficially” giving lectures and demonstrations
about the canoes to the public elementary schools in Majuro Atoll. Currently
this program is working with the Ministry of Education to incorporate this in
the system officially.
The trainees, with the knowledge
they have gained with the written studies on canoe parts, legends, old
Marshallese proverbs, wise sayings and beliefs, as well as Marshallese chants (roro)
and how they relate to traditional canoes and sea life, are now giving
presentations to visitors, especially other young Marshallese students.
Trainees
giving presentations to the Public Elementary School in Majuro
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SAILING
All
the trainees are getting experience in sailing canoes. Some have even gotten so
good at sailing the small kõrkõr canoe they’ve begun more advanced
training on the mid-sized tipñõl and now, some of these young men are
participating in the races around the lagoon and even placing in the top five
prize winning categories.
SAIL
RACES IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS
The
program participates to canoe races in the Majuro and Kwajlein lagoons. Every
year in spring, the trainees participated in the 5th annual Coconut Cup Regatta, the race includes all sizes of
traditional canoes, yachts, sailing dinghies and wind surfs. For this particular
race, the trainers and trainees sailed the program’s racing kõrkõr canoe
“WIA” and the tipñõl “WAM”.
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CHARTER
SAILING TOURS
The
program has launched canoe charters to develop additional employment
opportunities for youth trainees in the WAM program. Sailing trips leave from
the Outrigger Hotel and take tourists around the lagoon.
Included
in these charters, the trainees took out countless of students from different
grade schools during the Education Week and students from the College of the
Marshall Islands (CMI). They were also involved in the Boy Scout’s second
camp, which took place in Enemanit Island.
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HISTORY
Our
program started 13 years ago documenting all the major designs for outrigger
canoes in the Marshall Islands. After accomplishing this goal, we shifted the
focus of the program to the critically needed vocational training of and
capacity building for youth. Among
a variety of spin-off benefits, our program’s vocational training center is
generating jobs and working toward the elimination of poverty. While the
training techniques for these young men and women focuses on canoe
building-related techniques, the capacity building and life skills learned are
preparing young men and women trainees for jobs in any field.
Learning
to weave a basket
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LOCATION
WAM building hut and offices are located
near the Outrigger hotel, in Majuro downtown. Majuro is the capital of the
Marshall Islands.
This
location is perfect to both recruit students and display boats and models, as
well as to organize races.
Hut
House and outrigger on front beach
Office
building on beach
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VOLUNTEERS
WAM
accept volunteers to help organize events, write grants, links with other
organizations both nationally and internationally and raise funds to keep the
project running and developing.
The
organization needs also specially-skilled people to improve the fiberglass
building program.
An Australian
volunteer, Raewyn, is at present helping WAM with data bases and other
administration training. Part of Raewyn's activity includes teaching English to
Marshallese volunteers.
Volunteer
Raewyn teaching English to trainees
Volunteer's
house next to the office, facing Majuro lagoon
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CONTACTS
Waan Aelõñ
in Majel
P.O.
Box 1453, Majuro
Marshall
Islands 96960
e-mail:
wampro@ntamar.com
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PROJECTS
LOCATION HISTORY
VOLUNTEERING CONTACTS
Copyright Waan Aelõñ
In Majel
Web design by
Silvia Pinca, 2002