Hope, Skills, and Second Chances: A New Women’s Economic Center Rises in Kosrae

When Paul Hadik first arrived in Kosrae from Hawai‘i in 1993, he had no idea the island would one day become his life’s work. He met Sepe—half Kosraean, half Pohnpeian—married her in 1997, and together they spent decades serving communities across Micronesia. From classrooms in Kosrae to the principal’s office at Chuuk High School, from food banks in Hawai‘i to translation work in hospitals and courts, their lives have been woven through one purpose: helping island families thrive.

But one heartache kept resurfacing. Everywhere they lived, they watched young families leave the islands for the promise of a “better life” in the United States—only to find themselves trapped in expensive cities, exhausted by multiple jobs, struggling to raise children in unfamiliar environments.

“When I first came to Kosrae in the late ’80s, there were about 9,000 people living here,” Paul said. “Today we’re at around 4,000. The outmigration is alarming. We kept asking ourselves: Is there something we can do to help people stay home?”

In 2024, after seven years running a nonprofit in Hawai‘i, Paul and Sepe prayed about returning to Kosrae—and the answer came. They moved home in August with one bold dream: create local jobs and provide economic opportunities for women, the backbone of island families.

Starting With Bread, Pizza, and Opportunity

Their first step was Sleeping Lady Pizza, a small business named after the island’s iconic mountain profile. Within a year, they had hired seven full-time women at $5 an hour—more than double minimum wage—plus several part-time workers.

“It doesn’t sound like much, but here it puts them on par with what a beginning teacher earns,” Paul explained. “That income means a young family can stay.”

Sleeping Lady Pizza also donates 10% of monthly sales to Grateful Ministries, the couple’s nonprofit, to support community programs.

A New Vision: The Women’s Economic Support Center

The second—and far bigger—step was Sepe’s idea: a Women’s Economic Support Center in her home village of Malem.
Not a shelter, but a place where women can learn, create, and earn through baking or sewing—two income-generating skills in high demand because so many bakers and tailors have left the island.

An abandoned, deteriorating store became their canvas. For six months they scraped floors, repaired a leaking roof, rewired electricity, cleaned out years of debris, and slowly brought the building back to life.

“We received donations from City Church Honolulu, Costco Hawai‘i, and the Global Green Grant Fund,” Paul said. “But one of the biggest blessings came from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Through its humanitarian program, the Church donated 15 sewing machines and five high-quality mixers—equipment that will anchor the Center’s three training tracks.

Brett Child, Welfare & Self-Reliance Manager for the Church in the region, explained why this project stood out. “The Church saw an excellent opportunity to empower women in Kosrae with new tools that enable learning and promote self-reliance. Providing sewing machines and mixers provides far more than equipment—they represent hope, skills, and the ability to provide for individuals and more importantly for families.”

Child said the project resonated deeply with the Church’s humanitarian mission. “Our mission is to relieve suffering and promote self-reliance. This project does both,” he said. He added that Paul and Sepe’s local insight and vision made the decision easy: “Paul and Sepe shared their vision with us, and we immediately felt like it was something that could bless the community and families of Kosrae.”

Three Pathways to Economic Growth

1. Learn, Earn, and Launch
Women receive free training in sewing or baking. Their products are sold at the Center, with profits split 50/50. After 6–12 months, women who show proficiency may receive a sewing machine or baking equipment to start a business from home.

2. Create and Resell
Women can produce items at the Center, buy them at cost, and resell them independently. Staff will help them secure business licenses and teach quarterly tax filing.

3. Rent-and-Create for Current Tailors
Tailors who can’t afford equipment or electricity can rent machines and produce goods to sell on their own.

“We want to help women who could never afford a sewing machine or an oven—or even the electricity to run them,” Paul said.

The Center will also include a small conference room. “Kosrae really lags in women in leadership,” Paul added. “We want this to be a safe place where women can gather, learn, and build confidence.”

Challenges—and Miracles

Building anything on a small island comes with hurdles:
• equipment is two to three times more expensive,
• skilled labor is scarce,
• shipping delays stretch into months.

“But God is amazing,” Paul said. “We’ve learned to trust His timing.”

And the excitement is spreading fast.

“Women keep stopping by asking, ‘When can we start? Can I be part of the first class?’ That excitement keeps us going.”