Kokua International  Bringing aid, hope and relief
"We become whatever we are committed to." -Rick Warren The primary focus of our organization is to extend aid to the poor and underprivileged of the world, typically during times of crisis. Kokua  is a Hawaiian word meaning, "to help and to bring aid." Kokua International  was established in Hawaii and is registered both in Hawaii and in Washington state. Kokua is a non-denominational Christian organization. We are dedicated to bringing aid without strings attached and without hesitation to help, regardless of religious affiliation. We believe that compassion and love are fueled by the love of Jesus.	Kokua International was established in January 2004 to aid ministries and individuals who have little income, yet are doing good works within their own countries. In October of 2004, they felt to add disaster relief as a part of Kokua's goals to serve others. When the earthquake and tsunami hit in December of 2004, a team was sent in within a few days to help with the crisis. The ongoing work of Kokua will be to meet people in need in the best way possible.   Kokua received non-profit status in the state of Washington in August of 2004.  Kokua is a Hawaiian word encompassing the concept of help or aid. It includes the idea that we are to reach beyond our own circle of family and friends to help those who are suffering. Kokua soon made the decision to include relief and aid in their work as devastating worldwide events are happening such as natural disasters, war, and famine. Kokua is dedicated to taking in compassionate teams who volunteer their time to go into the most difficult circumstances in order to bring hope, aid, help and comfort. It is often at great personal expense to the team members to go on a trip.  Each member must being willing to love the poor, needy and sick and to give of their time freely.  Kokua works with native team members as well as international team members to be effective in the country that is in crisis. These national team members are a vital part of translation, medical work, and relationships within the country. Kokua’s desire is to always leave friendships in place with the people they serve. Kokua is a non-denominational, Christian organization. We are dedicated to bringing aid without strings attached, and without hesitation to help, regardless of religious affiliation. We believe that compassion and love are fueled by the love of Jesus. Kokua International also has a sponsorship program to help pastors, orphanage directors, and other nationals who have on-going works in their countries. If you are interested in this program…click here.   A focus for Kokua: Children in the aftermath of devastation Children are usually the worst hit when tragedy strikes. However, the immediate need for medical treatment and housing often take precedent over the emotional needs that come from a situation like the people in Aceh faced from the tsunami. Adults and children often suppress their emotions after the shock of devastation, as they try to survive the emergency at hand. Sometimes dealing with their own loss, parents and grandparents just don’t have the emotional strength to talk about it with the children, or to deal with another human being who is in pain, as their own suffering is so great. The stress of great loss can cause the heart to be broken, and fear and insecurity can set in. The hurts and loss of the ordeal in Indonesia must be addressed by compassionate relief workers, and others who are willing to listen and pray with the people. Often just playing soccer or returning to school, and returning to some routine that is consistent with normal life, is healing to children. They want to know that their world will continue and that they will be safe. Kokua maintains a strong focus towards rebuilding the lives and health of children by running medical clinics, providing haircuts and manicures, reading stories, and giving out lots of hugs.   Working alongside nationals Kokua believes in the importance of having team members from the country it is working in to help with the complex languages and culture. The cost of bringing along native team members is substantially lower than flying in aid workers from out of the country, and they are very helpful in bridging any culture gaps. When Kokua made the decision to go to the disaster region of Sumatra, it called on Indonesian friends who had worked with them before in other settings. On their first trip into Indonesia, Kokua went as a combined team of six Americans and four Indonesians. They flew from Bali to Medan, Sumatra; and then took a bus for twelve hours to Banda Aceh. It was a very rigorous trip overall.Kokua leaned on the  Indonesian team members for language and to gain trust with the people, which was needed in order to be effective. Kokua also depended on those team members to network transportation and other needed aspects of having a team on the ground. Having Indonesians on the team made sense culturally as there is a right and wrong approach to dealing with people in crisis. “We approached the people in a way that they received our help and were not afraid of us,” said one team member. Everyone from children to old people have certain expectations of how to be greeted, how much you can hug or not hug, and what you can say. Kokua tried to build bridges as much as possible by having a multicultural team.
	Kokua International is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (C) 3 nonprofit organization.