“We don’t want to go home! Can we come back here next year?” asked Waianuhea Lyau and Hanalei Fujimoto after the Rotaract Club of Hawai‘i Pacific University sent five teenagers to Mo‘orea in French Polynesia to participate in the week long Saga Painapo 2004 on July 24.

The Saga was a week long camp that entailed sailing, scuba diving, Tahitian dancing, and various games. The camp gave the teenagers a chance to experience something new, discover new values, and to enjoy time with others of the same age from various islands in French Polynesia. In addition, they learned about Polynesian culture.

Not only was this the first time the HPU Rotaract was involved in organizing the trip, but also it is the first time anyone outside French Polynesia has been invited to attend the Saga.

“This exchange will have a great impact, not only in the lives of the teens from the two Hawaiian Immersion public schools, Halau Lokahi and Anuenue, attending the Saga, but also people around them”, said Claude Thompson, Rotary District 5000 governor.

The exchange was made possible through the efforts of the Rotaract club of Tahiti. Next year the Rotaract clubs in Hawai‘i are to bring five Tahitian children and one chaperone to experience what Hawai‘i has to offer.

“ Don’t worry about anything, just go and have fun,” said Lyau when asked what she would advise, suggest, or tell another student in the same situation.