WAM - Overview

Overview

Waan Aelõñ in Majel Program, using the medium of canoe and boat building, directly contributes to the achievement of the national development objective of fostering economic and cultural development, national unity and self-identity. It empowers the youth of today by teaching them sustainable skills, enabling them employment and income generation in order to contribute to their family and community, reducing poverty. The program raises public awareness, while transferring knowledge and appreciation of Marshallese culture. This capacity building in a drug and alcohol free program is one of WAM’s building blocks for the future. Skills including outrigger canoe building, maintenance and repair, sailing and navigation will ensure that this unique aspect of Marshallese culture will be kept alive. WAM establishes collaborative partnerships with agencies of the Marshall Islands Government and Non-Government sectors concerned with the promotion of sustainable economic development to move the culture and tradition into a modern set of economic circumstances. The integration of contemporary boat building and modern building construction into the program ensures the success of this initiative that the income generated from wood building and fiberglass boat building will help sustain the program in the long term. WAM builds bridges across cultures by associating with international organizations having similar interests such as outrigger canoes and navigation.