About Us

• Background of the Disaster: The wildfires on August 8th caused extensive damage to Lāhainā and Kula, impacting homes and the community.

• Response Initiatives: NMII initiated two major projects in response to the wildfires:

  • The Humanitarian Unified Assistance (HUA) System: Developed in partnership with Bay Park Data Solutions and students from Grand Canyon University, this system aims to ensure that all affected residents are Heard, Understood, and Acknowledged. The HUA System maps needs, organizes them into tickets for efficiency and accountability, and allows residents to control and verify their need requests.

  • Ke Ola Hou Lāhainā Community Healing and Resiliency Center: A vision for a healing and resiliency center in Kāʻanapali, Maui, to support the community's recovery. NMII has been working with community partners and has secured space for a transitional campus for Sacred Hearts School of Maui and mental health support services.

• Development and Expansion of HUA System: The HUA System was developed with over 1600 service hours contributed by partners and volunteers. It was designed to improve disaster response and is currently being expanded with the help of local and state agencies to fill gaps in disaster management and support.

• Challenges and Government Response: The aftermath of the wildfires presents significant challenges, including over 2200 destroyed structures and over 11000 impacted residents. Recovery is expected to take at least eight years, with current case management resources stretched thin. The article notes the closure of FEMA support submissions and concerns about residents falling through the cracks.

• Community Efforts and Ke Ola Hou Expansion: NMII's efforts to establish Ke Ola Hou involve community coalitions and partnerships to provide mental health support and educational facilities. The project has evolved to include additional campuses and has identified a Fiscal Intermediary to support the multi-million dollar proposal.

• Continued Commitment: Despite the challenges, NMII remains committed to serving the community, emphasizing the importance of Aloha and community solidarity in recovery efforts.

On August 8th, Maui experienced horrific wildfires that forever changed the community of Lāhainā and destroyed homes in Kula. Nā Mea ʻIke ʻIa (NMII) has been working on two key community-impacting projects. 1. The Humanitarian Unified Assistance (HUA) System; and 2. Ke Ola Hou Lāhainā Community Healing and Resiliency Center.

Nā Mea ʻIke ʻIa moved into action by day two when our partner Martha Rodgers with Bay Park Data Solutions reached out to ask what could be done. We moved to suspend our work on the Smart Tourism™ project and direct the technology team to develop our Humanitarian Unified Assistance (HUA) System, where our goal is to ensure that all impacted residents of this tragedy are Heard, Understood, and Acknowledged. We will accomplish this with a robust tool that puts all needs on a map, organizes needs into tickets that will aid in efficiency and accountability, and puts residents in control as they close their tickets and verify that their need request has been met.

The HUA System was developed through over 1600 service hours by undergraduate students at Grand Canyon University, Bay Park Data Solutions, and NMII's on-the-ground Maui team members. We thank and acknowledge Izaiah Stroman, who spearheaded the development with his university colleagues Trevor Hoke, Dominic Cox, and Caleb Klingseis. They have taken on the challenge of advancing the HUA System as part of their capstone project, which will be presented at the University on April 18th!

The Maui team has been working to expand the network of support and partners around HUA and Ke Ola Hou. Our Maui team has been able to network with County and State response agencies. It is working to understand how the government will respond and how our endeavors can assist the effort in a way that is not duplicated elsewhere. Our current understanding of the situation is that over 2200 structures were destroyed, over 11000 residents were impacted, it will take at least eight (8 ) years to recover, and there are only enough case managers with the capacity to serve only 600 residents currently! The State and County are currently in the development stages of the Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP), where they are working to develop more Disaster Case Managers (DCMs) as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the window of submitting support from FEMA has now closed to Maui wildfire survivors. It is anticipated that many are already falling through the cracks and have given up on trying to ask for help. We are working to understand how many have moved off the island and are trying to make it alone!