Devoting time and energy to helping youth can make all the difference in what path they take in life. It's most defintely an investment worth making.

This is especially true for at-risk youth, who face bigger social challenges. Oftentimes these children are vulnerable to the pressures of life — drugs, crime, violence.

Sometimes all it takes is a nurturing environment where hope and creativity abound to keep them on the right track. Luckily, this was a lesson that Mika Togiola learned growing up at Kalihi Valley Homes.

Now, with the help of two of his friends, Togiola is using an unconventional tool to combat tensions among youth living in housing projects: music. Through his "Hope Through Music" program, which he started with $1,500 of his own money, children ages 6 to 18 at the Kalihi housing project have traded in the sounds of the streets for the sweet sounds of the 'ukulele, guitar and gospel music.

This is the type of program that can change these children's lives, and it should serve as an inspiration for others to give back to their communities. Togiola hopes to expand the program to Kuhio Park Terrace and is seeking nonprofit status. But he can't do it alone — nor should he. To keep the program going, he is looking for donations, from money to musical equipment.

All children deserve the same opportunities in life. With the help of this program, and others like it, they can have just that.