Mai Movement Hawaii Inc

MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAI'I WAS FOUNDED BY NATIVE HAWAIIAN SISTERS NIKKI-ANN YEE, BRANDY-LEE YEE, AND JAMIE-LEE KAPANA IN OCTOBER 2020 TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PERIOD POVERTY AND MENSTRUAL INEQUITY ACROSS THE STATE OF HAWAI'I. PERIOD POVERTY IS THE LIMITED OR INADEQUATE ACCESS TO MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS OR MENSTRUAL HEALTH EDUCATION AS A RESULT OF CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDING, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LIMITED TO, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, NEGATIVE SOCIO-CULTURAL STIGMAS ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUATION, OR INADEQUATE ACCESS TO PERIOD-FRIENDLY SANITATION FACILITIES AND RUNNING WATER. WE ATTEND MOST IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEEDS OF UNDERSERVED MENSTRUATORS ATTENDING LOCAL SCHOOLS, THE HOUSELESS POPULATION, THOSE THAT ARE INCARCERATED, AND LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SYSTEMICALLY AND DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY PERIOD POVERTY. WE RECOGNIZE THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING SOCIETAL CHALLENGES INHERENT IN TACKLING THE BROADER ISSUE OF PERIOD POVERTY FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND ADOPT A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH THROUGH PERIOD PROGRAMS, ADVOCACY, AND GENDER-INCLUSIVE AND LOCALLY INSPIRED EDUCATION. SINCE OUR INCEPTION AT THE END OF 2020 AND BY THE END OF 2021, MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAI'I HAS SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A TRUSTED PROVIDER IN THE COMMUNITY AND DISTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY 225,000 DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS AND OVER 500 REUSABLE PERIOD PRODUCTS TO 56 PARTNERS ON ALL ISLANDS EXCEPT FOR KAHO'OLAWE AND NI'IHAU, SUCH AS THE HAWAI'I STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, HALE KIPA, NEIGHBORHOOD PLACE OF PUNA, PARTNERS IN CARE, AND MOLOKAI COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER. TO BE AS EQUITABLE IN OUR SERVICES AS POSSIBLE, WE ALSO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS TO REQUEST DISPOSABLE AND REUSABLE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND MAIL DIRECTLY STATEWIDE. FURTHERMORE, WE PROVIDE GENDER INCLUSIVE AND LOCALLY INSPIRED PERIOD MANAGEMENT EDUCATION THAT ADDRESSES THE ROOT CAUSES OF MENSTRUAL INEQUITY, AIMS TO NORM A BODILY FUNCTION, AND INFLUENCE LONG-TERM LIFESTYLE CHANGES. LASTLY, WE CONTINUE LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO PASS MENSTRUAL EQUITY POLICIES THAT FURTHER REINFORCES SYSTEMIC CHANGE, WHICH LEADS TO A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE FUTURE IN GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, AND OUR STATE. IN THE 2021 HAWAI'I STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR AND PASSED INTO LAW A HOUSE AND SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MAKE PERIOD PRODUCTS FREE IN ALL SECONDARY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE ALSO RECEIVED GOVERNOR AND ALL COUNTY MAYOR PROCLAMATIONS IN MAY RECOGNIZING "PERIOD POVERTY AWARENESS WEEK". MA'I MOVEMENT HAWAI'I IS CURRENTLY RUN BY NIKKI-ANN, BRANDY-LEE, AND JAMIE-LEE. WE HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL PART-TIME VOLUNTEER THAT IS PART OF OUR CORE TEAM - LEIGH MAMUAD.