MOLOAA — Girls empowerment was in the spotlight at Retro Farms on Saturday as more than 150 ladies of Kauai gathered for the fourth annual Pink Pineapple Project in Moloaa.
Under sunny skies with gentle ocean breezes, girls received lessons in bravery, farming and crafting while enjoying fresh smoothies and the iconic pineapple upside down cake.
Partnering with the Zonta Club of Hanalei for the fourth year, the volunteers are practiced and proficient at cake baking and serving, smoothie making and serving, rock painting , game leading, group leading and conducting lessons of empowerment.
“Regardless of how grand my vision is for this event, it would be impossible to conduct without a strong core of volunteers, they are the backbone of this event. Many of my volunteers have been here four years in a row,” says Mary Ellen Pearlman, Retro Farms director and event organizer.
The theme changes each year, designed to strengthen the self image of girls adolescent through teen years.
This year’s theme focused on bravery. The girls sat on the shaded benches of the coastal observation deck, and engaged in interactive activities and discussions led by Melanie Slimko, also known as “ the girl empowerer.”
“Melanie has a gift that transcends all age groups, an innate ability to relate to the girls and help them to recognize their own strengths” said Pearlman. “This is reflected on the post event survey all girls are asked to complete, each year over 93 percent of the girls answer yes to the question on the survey that ask if their own self image has improved during the event.”
Mrs. Hawaii, Shannon Daliva, joined the Pink Pineapple Project and inspired the girls with a discussion of what bravery means to her.
“B is for believe in yourself, R is for refect what you respect, A is allow your light to shine, V is value your own worth and E is for empower others,” she said.
The girls were broken down into five groups and made the rotation through different events.
Future plans for a boys empowerment program, the Blue Papaya, are underway. Anyone who would like further information about Retro Farms programs can visit the website: retrofarms.org.
