While visiting Springdale, Arkansas last week, President Heine delivered the keynote remarks at the Marshallese Women’s Conference organized by the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese. The Office of the President summarized her remarks in a press release posted on Facebook which emphasized the strength and resilience of Marshallese women, drawing on cultural proverbs and historical narratives to highlight their vital contributions. She underscored the importance of maintaining cultural identity and traditions, even as Marshallese communities continue to grow abroad. “If we maintain the belief of Kora ‘em Ajra, the voices of our women will remain strong and resolute in fostering stability and harmony,” she said. She encouraged women to take charge of their future and pursue academic and vocational opportunities, recognizing that knowledge and skills are powerful tools for economic stability and cultural preservation. She encouraged those living in the United States to remain connected to their roots, passing down traditions and values to the next generation.

Read in English: H.E. President Heine’s Keynote Remarks at the 2025 Women’s Conference in Arkansas (English)

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Enaan eo an H.E. President Hilda C. Heine

Kweiḷọk eo an Kōrā in Majōl ro ilo Arkansas

Kōrā ro Etto, Raan Kein im Iljuuuu – “Kōrā ‘emAjra”

March 19, 2025

Iakwe kom aolep. Ij kile im kaṃṃoolol Anij Jemed iṃaan men otemjej, iien otemjej. Ij kile Ṃanit in ad eṃṃan imej ad jolet jān eo ad ri kōṃanṃan. Kile Irooj im Lerooj rein ad repād ippād ijin, im ro ilo aelōñ ko ad, im ilikin aelōñ ko ad barāinwōt. Kile ri kaki im Kōrā in ri kaki ro Jined im Jemed ilo kabuñ ko ad kajojo.

Kile aolep ro im rej jeban jukjuk im pād in ad ilo Arkansas in. Juon kile im kaṃṃoolol eo ejeṇoḷọkḷọk ñan kōrā rein jinen jukjuk im pād in kōn kūr in letok bwe in maroñ ṃōttami ilo kweiḷọk in eaorōk an kōrā rein jined ilo Arkansas in.

I wish to take this opportunity to recognize Mayor Doug Sprouse. Thank you so very much, Mr. Mayor, for all that you do for our Marshallese community here in Northwest Arkansas, throughout the State of Arkansas, and the United States.

I also wish to recognize Amy Pritchard. Thank you, Amy, for your care, for your energy, and for the many wonderful things you bring to uplift the lives of our Marshallese community, especiaḷly Marshallese women and girls.

Ij barāinwōt bōk iien in eṃṃan im leḷọk aō kile Melisa Laelan-Pedro kōn ijoko kwonaan reḷap ñan lelōñtak jerbal in jipañ kein relōñ ñan armej in Majōl rein otemjej rej jukjuk im amṇak ilo Arkansas in. Koṃṃooltata Melisa kōn kijejeto im burūon joij in am ñan rein nukud im ṃōttad ilo aer ettoḷọk jān ḷamoren ko aer.

Juon in lomnak eḷap an aorōk, im eḷap aō ṃōṇōṇō kōn utiej in letok bwe in maroñ bōktok unin tōl eo an rainin– Kōrā ‘em Ajra.

Ta in Kōrā ‘em Ajra? Ilo lukuun ṃool eo, juon in kōkadede me elōñ iien jej kōjerbale ak bulen jijablukuun meḷeḷe kōn ṃwilaḷ-in. Ña make iaar aikuij bōk meḷeḷe ko reḷḷapḷọk im ekkar ḷọk kōn jiṃwe im jejjōt in kōjerbal kōkadede in eaorōk ilo mour im ṃanit ko ad, āinwōt ri-Majōl.

Ilo meḷeḷe ko litok ñan ña jān ro im retijeṃḷọk ilo Ṃanit ko ad, Kōrā ‘em Ajra ej jourur en āliktata imelaaj im ej limtok jemḷọk in juon lañ eo eḷap, im bōktok juon lur im aenōṃṃan eo eboloman.

Kweiḷọk in ej bōk jikin ilo juon tōre eo eḷap an ekkar im jejjōt ilo an doulul in ami pukot mejḷan apañ ko komwōj jelṃae jen iien ñan iien, im buk buñtōn ko rekkar tata ñan iuun ṃaanḷọk im lelōñḷọk jokkun mourñan armej rein nukud im ṃōttad im rej jukjuk im amṇak ilo Amedka kein ilo wāween ko rotiljok im renaaj kōjparok aeneṃṃan eo, ilo ami mour ijokein, ilo ejjeḷọk mijak, mekarta ke ewōr wāween ko jej roñ kaki im rej bōk jikier ilo kiien in ṃōttad ilo Amedka in.

Kōnke jej itok jān jet aelōñ ko im rej bōk-im-na wōt, elōñ iien laḷ in ej kaleṃjek kōj āinwōt jet armej ro ri-mojṇọ im jet tokjāer, ak ñe jenaaj reilikḷọk ñan bwebwenato ko ad im mour ko ad etto, rej kwaḷọk bwe kōjeañ ej armej in kōttōpar, jet ro im eḷap kijenmej im kijejeto ippāer. Im ilo ṃanit im wāween mour ko ad jān etto, jeḷā ke eḷap kautiej doon eḷaptata kautiej kōrā rejined. Bwebwenato in aikuij eo an Timur im Jebro ejjuon waanjoñak eo jejab aikuj meḷọkḷọk ilo an kar Jebro kili im bokake jinen Lōktañur bwe en maroñ wiini aikwoj eo eḷap ilo Aelōñḷapḷap.

Ilo ami kar kelet bwe komin itok ñan jokein itulik in Majōl ñan pukot jeḷāḷọkijen, ājmour im jerbal, ij lo keelōñ wōt iami rej dāpij wōt korak eo ikōtaami im aelōñko ami. Mekarta ke komwōj pād etoḷọk, jij loe ke eḷapami kajeoñ dāpij wōt ṃanit im imenene ko ad āinwōt jet ri Majōl ilo jukjuk-im-pād kein an Ri-Majōl ijikeinilikin Majōl. Wāween in ej kakkur-ṃool kōkadede ñe juon ad “Pādpād ijin, pādpād ijoñ”, eo im ej kalikkar ijiko kuṇaad jān doon, mekarta ijin, ak ijoñ.

Rainin, ewōr kiiō epepin in ri Majōl ro im raar ḷotak im rūttoḷọk wōt ilo Amedka ka kein. Bulen kajjitōk eo e-aorōk in kii[ ej ewi wāween ad katakin rein nejid imriktakid wāween mour im ṃanit ko ad.

Ilo tomak eo aō, eḷap ijoko kuṇaan kōrā ro ilo katakin ro nejid kajin, ṃanit, im pādpād in mour ko ad āinwōt ri Majōl, ilo ad mour im kajeoñ kake aikuij ko ad ijikein ejjab jikid. Elaññe jenaj loor kōkadede ñe “Kōrā em Ajra” ainikien kōrā elaaj im ekajoor ilo kōṃṃan aeneṃṃan ilo katakin im ilo kipel ilo jiṃwe. Jen jab kowaan e maroñ in epād ippād im letok in ṃanit in ad.

Jān tōre en juon leddik ej ḷotak tok, e ej juon Iep Jaltok ñan baaṇle im bwij eo an. Epād eddo eo iaerran ñan kaddōkḷọk bwij eo an ilo an kaajiriri im karūttoikḷọk ajri ro ilo juon iaḷ eo ejiṃwe im jejjōt. Ekūrmool eddo in ilo ad kōrā ro rej Jined ilo Kobo im Jined Kiped.

Ej ir eo rej pukot im bōktok jeraṃṃan ko ñan baaṃle ak bwij ko aer, āinwōt ke jej Kōrā im an Kol im Kōrā Menunaak. Kōrā ro rej barāinwōt dāpij aeneṃṃan eo an juon jukjuk-im-pād— rej Lejṃaanjuri, im Kōrā in Eoeo.

Ak bwe juon kōrā en maroñ kōṃṃani eddo kein repad iae-ran, kōrā eo ej aikuij Ājmour! Ñe jenaaj laḷe meḷeḷein naan in Ājmour, jij maroñ lo ke ej jutak kōn ruo naan ko, “Ej”, kab “Mour”. Naan in Ājmour ej kalikkar ñan kōjeañ ke eban tiljek im wāāpen ad maroñ kōṃṃani ijoko kuṇaad ñan baaṃle im jukjuk-im-pād ko ad ñe kōjeañ ejjab ājmour. Jeban ej mour ko an ro ilo jukjuk-im-pād ko ad ñe mour eo ad make ejjab juon eo eṃṃan.

Ilo kile in ke ājmour an kōrā ro ekitbuuj ājmour eo an juon jukjuk-im-pād, jikin ājmour eo ad ilo Majōl eṃōj an ijino juon jerbal in kaketak kōrā im leddik ro ñan aer pukot ājmour ñan er make im baaṃle im jukjuk-im-pād ko aer.

Ejjeḷọk kajjitōk ke ājmour eo an armej rein ad ejañin tōpar juon joñak eo kōjwōj maroñ ṃōṇōṇō kake. Jukjuk-im-pād ko ad eḷap aer inene kōn nañinmej ko rejjab kabobo ak NCDs ko, āinwōt tōñal, high blood, jorāān in menono im elōñ kain cancer ko. Ejjeḷọk kajjitōk kekōkōmelmel ko an Kien eo an Amedka ñan deen jukibaam ko rekajoor, ak nuclear weapons testing program eo, eṃōj an jelet mour ko ad kajojo im en ko eneed, ekoba mour ko an kōrā ro jined– kōjwōj meḷeḷe kōn ajri ro rijibikbik ilo aer ḷotak tok, im cancer ko rellōñ kōrā ro rej iooni ñan rainin.

Ak ijjeḷọkin jorāān kein ñan ājmour ilo ānbwin, jej aikuij barāinwōt kile jorāān im ṃōjṇo ko ilo kōḷmānḷọkjen, ak ājmour in kōmelij, ak men eo ri pālle rej ba emotional im psychological health, eo ippād, baaṃle ko ad, im jukjuk-im-pād ko ad.

Im ijeḷā ke iaḷ in iṃaan ejamin juon eo epidodo, ak enaaj bōk elōñ kapeel ko ñan ad maroñ jelṃae, ak men eo rej ba holistic approach, ñan kōṃṃan bwe ājmourin kōlmānḷọkjen im ānbwin roñ ippān doon.

Ilo aō ba menin, ij kile im likit aō kaṃṃoolol ñan University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) kōn jerbal kein aer reṃṃan im elaaj ippān doulul ko an ri Majōl ilo Arkansas in, im ijoko jet. Ij barāinwōt kile im kaṃṃoolol ro ilo Family Diabetes Self-Management Program eo (DMSE), ilo aer jutak pen im kate er bwe armej ro ewōr nañinmej in tōñal ippāer ilo jukjuk-im-pād in ijin ren maroñ kōjparok tōñal ko aer, im kadikḷọk an nañinmij in tōñal kakkure ājmour eo an juikjuk-im-pād kein ad.

Ejja ilo wāween in wōt, ij kile im kaṃṃoolol kōn ṃōṇakjān in jerbal eo ikōtaan Jikin Ājmour eo ilo Majōl im Marshallese Educational Initiative, Inc., ak MEI, ñan laḷe likjab in jerbal ko ikijiien ājmour. Ijjeḷọkin an doulul kein jipañ kōj, ad kajojo eddo ñan ājmour eo ilo kōj make. Jap pād kake ājmour eo am im ro ilo nukun eo.

Eḷap aō tomak ke ñe jej kōnono kōn ājmour, jej aikuij bar kōnono kōn menin kakkure ko iloan juon jukjuk-im-pād ṇae kōrā im leddik ro, ak men eo jej ba domestic violence. Ilo an ḷap kakkure ko rej waḷọk ñan kōrā im leddik ro, wāween in ejjab jelet wōn juon ak ruo, ak ejelet aolep kōrā im leddik in Majōl— im wāween in ejelōt ājmour eo an aolep kōnke ej rupe baaṃle ko im bōbrae an eṃṃanḷọk im eddōkḷọk jukjuk-im-pād ko ad. Im eṃōj ad jeḷā ke jorāān kein ṇae kōrā im leddik rore-tinaad, im elōñ iien rej na ruon kōrā im leddik rein kaki, im karmejjete jiṃwe kein aer.

Ilo peḷaakin laḷ in, katak ko rej kwaḷọk ke ilubwiljin jilu kōrā ro, juon iaer enaaj ioon jorāān ko iloan ṃōko ilo tōre in mour eo an. Ilo wōden bwil in Pacific, joñan jorāān ko iloaan ṃōko reḷḷapḷọk jān joñak ko an laḷ in. Im ilo aelōñ ko admake ilo Majōl en, katak ko rej kwaḷọk ke 50%, ak jimetan in kōrā ro, eṃōj aer ioon jorāān ko im waḷọk iloan ṃōko iṃōd. Ilo aō kalimjeke, nōṃba kein rej kwaḷọk juon pija ak juon ṃool eoekabūroṃōjṃōj im ej bōk jikin ilo laḷ en ad rainin.

Ilo aō kalimjek jorāān kein ṇae kōrā, ij kajjitōk make ippa epād ia kōkadede kein Ejerata eo ejkeḷọk Jinen, ak Ekakwikwi Jinen Eṃaan. Bulen iien ad kaḷapḷọk katakko jej liḷọk ñan laddik ro nejid bwe ren meḷeḷe eddo kein aer barāinwōt.

Ejjeḷọk kajjitōk ke wāween ko iuṃwin Ṃanit im raarkōjparok kōrā ro eṃōj aer ṃōjṇoḷọk, im eaorōk bwe jen kōkajoori ḷọk ilo aelōñ ko ad, im ilo jukjuk-im-pād kein ad ijikein ilik in Majōl.

Eḷap aō tomak ke jeḷāḷọkjen emaroñ ṇa mejḷan elōñ iaan jorāān kein ṃae kōrā im leddik ro nejid. Menin ej juon ṃool. Im ij bōk iien in im rujañ kōj kōrā ran bwe kōjwōj en bōk buñtōn ko ñan kōḷapḷọk jeḷāḷọkjen ko ippād im ippān ro nejid, eḷaptata leddik ro.

Ijeḷā ke iaḷ in ejjab pidodo, ak āinwōt juon eo eaar jinoan pukot jeḷāḷọkjen ilo tōre ko an Trust Territory, imaroñ in ba ñan kom ke eḷap wōt im ḷap an lōñ iaḷ im wāween pukot jeḷāḷọkjen rainin. Im ilo aō kōnono kōn pukot jeḷāḷọkjen, ejjab kōnono wōt kōn college ko, ak ij bar kōnono kōn kapeel in ba, ak men eo rej ba technical im vocational education. Ij ba menin kōn keelōñ ro remaroñ jab lukkun itok limoer ilo college akō eḷap kapeel in jerbal ippāer āinwōt keke, kōmaat, amimōṇo, im men ko eriḷọk wōt.

Laḷe ta eo eitok limoom kake, im kabin ippaṃ make keej kōttōpar eo am in ñan lōñaj eok, baaṃle eo, im jukjuk-im-pād eo an Ri-Majōl ijo kwoj pād ie. Ilo am bōk buñtōn in, ij kallimur ke kwonaaj anjo ioon elōñ iaan wāween ko rej dāpij eok jān am pukot iaḷ in jeramman ñan kwe im baaṃle eo am.

Kijwoj kōrā, jij aikuij Ṃaanjappopo ilo ad kaḷọk juon ilju eo eṃṃanḷọk ñan baaṃle ko ad iloan im ilikin Majōl. Jeḷāḷọkjen ej ṃaanjāppopo eo eban jako jān eok; juon investment ak joortoklik eo eaorōkḷọk jān money ko kōkoṇkoṇ ilo bank. Tiljek ilo ṃool ilo am loloorjake ro nejiṃ im jibuṃ ñan jikin jikuuḷ. Jipañ bikur koloaer bwe ren jab ebwer ak ran pukot ṃaan iḷọkate im peran. Wōnṃaanḷọk im jeraṃṃan ilo Amerkaej bōk jikin jān kapeel eo ippān kajojo. Ejab jidre im waḷọk.

Kien eo ami epojak jabdrewōt iien ñan an lewōj pein ilo wāween ko rekkar im emaroñ bōk kuṇaan ie ñan jipañ ilo ad Wōdde Jippel im jerbal ippān doon ñan na mejḷan apañ ko ilo jukjuk-im-pād kein ad ilikin Majōl, ñan kōṃṃan bwe rein nejid ren ruttoḷọk ilo aer jeḷā Ṃanit, im jeḷā wōn er. Ilo wāween in, eḷap an aorōk bwe kōrā in ekōtaan aelōñ ko ad im jukjuk-im-pād kein ad ilikin Majōl en kajoorḷọk.

Ilo aō kile Aelōñ in an Kōrā ipeḷaakin laḷ in, ij bōk iien in im lewōj aō kaṃṃoolol kōrā rein raar kōṃṃan bwe kweiḷọk in en maroñ bōk jikin kab komwōj kajojo komaar joḷọk iien ko ami raorōk ñan kaibojoj iien in. Kweiḷọk rōt kein rej bōktok eḷap meḷeḷe im kōḷmānḷọkjen ko reṃṃan ilo ad kajeoñ kaḷọk juon ilju eo eṃṃanḷọk ñan baaṃle ko ad im jukjuk-im-pād kein ad. Āinwōt juon eo etto an jerbal ippān doulul eo Majōl ṇaetan“Women United Together – Marshall Islands” ak WUTMI jān jinoin an jutak ñan rainin, eḷap aō tōmak ilo kōttōpar ko an kweiḷọk in, im eḷap aō utiej im ṃōṇōṇō bwe imaroñ in ṃōttami ilo kweiḷọk in.

Jeraṃṃan ilo ṃakūtkūt ko an kweiḷọk in im Anij en kōjerṃṃan kom aolep im baaṃle ko ami kajojo.

Kom eṃool tata.