In the tradition of the Hawaiian ‘ohana, family history is passed on from generation to generation through the telling of stories. In pre-contact times, those stories were shared orally. Today, stories are preserved in writing. Na Lei Mālama Keiki, written by ‘ohana caregivers in the Na Lei Malama Keiki group at the Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center, Honolulu, is dedicated to the keiki for whom they care.

As part of the caregiver support group program, participants were asked to respond to simple writing prompts and share family histories and hopes for the future to preserve them for the the children in their care. Simple Q&A sections reveal the background and personalities of the writers, each of whom contributed several short items including essays, poems, drawings, photographs and family recipes. The project was intended to create a keepsake for the families and offer the children a link to their history to bridge the gap created by missing parental figures.

This type of book can be created with the Photo Legacy Package.

For more information on the Lili‘uokalani Trust program, visit their website.