Interior Provides $517,014 to Mañe’lu on Guam and We are Oceania in Hawai’i to Help Mitigate Compact Impact

WASHINGTON – Doug Domenech, U.S. Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, this week announced $517,014 total in FY 2019 funding to support the Mañe’lu Micronesian Resource Center (MRC) One-Stop Shop on Guam and the We are Oceania (WAO) Hālau Ola One-Stop Center in Hawai’i. The two non-profit organizations provide new-migrant orientation, family support services, and workforce development programs to individuals from the freely associated states (FAS) of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau who may travel to the United States to live and work as provided for under the Compacts of Free Association.

“Guam and Hawai‘i have been the U.S. communities most impacted by FAS migrants under the Compacts of Free Association,” said Assistant Secretary Domenech. “Mañe’lu and We are Oceania help FAS families who have traveled to the U.S. under the Compacts to become part of their respective communities,” continued Domenech. “Building stronger individuals and families in these communities is important for the success of the FAS and the territories alike.”

• Mañe’lu, the Micronesian Resource Center One-Stop Shop, on Guam will receive $267,014. Mañe’lu partners with the Guam Trades Academy to provide workforce development training focused on construction and related trades in support of the U.S. military build-up on Guam. They will also continue providing information services on Guam's public health system and public education system, with a priority on youth mentoring and youth development programs. Mañe’lu works closely with the Guam Facilities Foundation, Guam Police Department, and Guam Department of Education, among other agencies and organizations on Guam. By the end of 2018, Mañe’lu had served over 3,600 individuals. Mañe’lu in Chamorro, the native language of Guam, means brotherhood and sisterhood.
   
• We are Oceania Hālau Ola One Stop Center in Hawai’i will receive $250,000. Since 2015, We are Oceania has helped more than 10,000 individuals in Hawai’i who have sought assistance in the areas of health, education, employment, child welfare services, legal, public assistance, housing, social security, taxes, and more. We are Oceania continues to be led by individuals who have successfully transitioned from Micronesia and are currently living in Hawai‘i. It is the first program of its kind in Hawai‘i under which Micronesians lead efforts to address the needs of other Micronesians as they transition to life in the United States, while finding ways to reduce associated financial and social burdens on Hawai‘i.

Funding for these initiatives is provided through the Office of Insular Affairs’ Technical Assistance Program. As a result, of migration under the Compacts of Free Association, Guam and Hawai‘i have experienced increased impact and demands placed on public services such as health, education, and public safety. According to a 2013 Census enumeration, 14,700 FAS migrants live in Hawai‘i and 17,170 live on Guam. A new Census enumeration will be released in 2019.

The Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs, and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

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