Protect our children and promote positive ACTIONS. The Hokule’a has a saying inscribed on the hull of it’s canoe which I discovered during a visit. The inscription read, “Kapu na keiki” (the translation is “Hold sacred the children” which is the driving force for this mission.

There is a new horrifying story of child abuse each week. One child burned to death, one child found rotting with maggots in a swing, another child found with multiple injuries that eventually led to death. The sexual abuse of Olympic gymnasts by the team doctor; sexual abuse of students by a coach or behavioral health worker; thirteen children who were neglected, held captive, and possibly tortured by their parents are all examples of cases where I wonder if there may have been something done to prevent these atrocities. I worked on cases such as these for over 10 years. I left that work behind about a year ago and yet, I still find myself still drawn to each article published on child maltreatment cases and it continues to make my heart ache. I was able to make some difference in the past through the work I did by testifying on cases as an expert witness on child maltreatment issues.

Stepping away from that was a difficult decision, and I find myself needing to still be involved in some aspect in addressing child abuse. This website is my step towards that goal. It is not the usual “information only” that one would find on most sites; rather, it is a SCREAM OF DEFIANCE, and embodies my drive to move society towards building a stronger stance in protecting children. To do that, I believe we need to change the culture of society and provide adults with the skills and empowerment so that as a village, we can raise (and protect) our keiki.