Mana Rapa Nui Foundation

About the Mana Rapa Nui Foundation

An indigenous-led nonprofit dedicated to health, dignity, economic independence, and cultural survival of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island — a UNESCO World Heritage community.

Who We Are

We Are Not Outsiders. We Are Family.

The Mana Rapa Nui Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life of the Rapa Nui people through integrated solutions in healthcare, economic development, and cultural preservation.

Founded and led by members of the Rapa Nui diaspora — with direct family ties to the island — we bridge global philanthropy and local community action. We do not parachute in. We partner with the people who are already there, already working, already trusted.

We operate through four core programs: Disability and Elder Support, Coffee and Economic Development, Clean Energy and Water (3-SOL-X), and the Mana Rapa Nui Wellness Center — our flagship initiative.

Legal Name

Mana Rapa Nui Foundation

IRS Status

501(c)(3) Public Charity — IRS Recognized — EIN: 33-4549354

Headquarters

65 T.W. Alexander Dr., Office 13736, Durham, NC 27709

Contact

eteaveh@manarapanuifoundation.org — 919-386-9418

Our Programs

What We Do

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Disability and Elder Support

Providing healthcare access, mobility assistance, and dignity to elders and persons with disabilities. Delivering wheelchairs, hospital beds, prosthetics and assistive devices directly to named residents on Easter Island.

See Current Campaign

Coffee and Economic Development

Creating sustainable income through premium Rapa Nui specialty coffee — grown in volcanic soil by disabled and elderly community members. First harvest projected for 2027. Grown in the soil that gave the world Rapamycin.

View Coffee Project

3-SOL-X Clean Energy and Water

Deploying solar Stirling engine technology and atmospheric water generation for long-term island self-sufficiency. 7MW full deployment target. Renewable energy and potable water for all communities.

View 3-SOL-X Project

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Mana Rapa Nui Wellness Center

Our flagship initiative — 50 residential units, holistic medical center, rehabilitation services, telemedicine and cultural healing programs. Easter Island’s first integrated care facility. A replicable model for indigenous communities worldwide.

View Wellness Center

Our Story

Why We Exist

The Foundation was created by members of the Rapa Nui diaspora who watched, for years, as the island’s most vulnerable residents fell through every crack — too remote for Chilean government services, too small for international NGO attention, too exotic for traditional Pacific Islander philanthropy.

Erity Teave Hey — Founder, President and Vice President of the Rapa Nui Parliament — built this organization from personal conviction: that a community as resilient and historically significant as Rapa Nui deserves integrated, dignified care.

Every decision we make is guided by the community itself. We are not an outside organization delivering aid. We are family, working alongside the people we serve.

Foundation Leadership

Led From Within the Community

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Erity Teave Hey

Founder and President — Mana Rapa Nui Foundation

Vice President, Parlamento Rapa Nui — 3 terms since 2007

Governance

Vice President of the Parlamento Rapa Nui since 2007 — 3 terms. Director of Human Rights 2001-2014. UN Mission Representative. Founder of the HONUI Territorial Assembly.

Climate and Global Advocacy

Pacific Region Representative to COP28 (2023). UNFCCC contributor. Pacific Knowledge Holder, Australia (2023). FAO researcher on indigenous food security, New York (2022).

Read Full Bio Vice President, Parlamento Rapa Nui — COP28 Pacific Region Representative — UNFCCC Contributor

“We are not outsiders parachuting in. We are family serving family.”

— Erity Teave Hey, Founder and President

Erity Teave Hey speaking at COP28 Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change

COP28 — Dubai 2023

Erity Teave Hey addresses the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change — selected as Pacific Region Representative to COP28.

Why It Matters

The Case for Action

Most Isolated

Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated inhabited islands on Earth — 3,700 km from mainland Chile.

No Care Infrastructure

Zero integrated care facilities combining housing, health, and services currently exist on the island.

Vulnerable Population

Elders and disabled residents lack access to basic care — no wheelchairs, no rehabilitation, no support.

Replicable Model

Our approach is designed to be replicated across isolated Pacific island communities — global impact from local action.

Join Us in Building a Better Rapa Nui

Whether you are a donor, a foundation, a corporate partner or an individual who believes in indigenous justice — there is a place for you here.

501(c)(3) Nonprofit — EIN: 33-4549354 — Durham, NC — manarapanuifoundation.org

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