Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike's mission is to provide youth with a way to learn that makes sense to them, that builds their self-esteem and shows them they have the power to change their future. At the heart of our mission is the vision to return youth to their rightful role as caretakers of their community, as we create the leaders of the next generation. Our project seeks to meet the immediate needs of our community while addressing the root causes of these issues and decreasing our community’s vulnerabilities associated with our geographic isolation.
Our flagship Building Program offers in-school carpentry curriculum, and paid apprenticeships where youth can participate in building projects for kūpuna and other community members in need. This same model of hands-on youth learning became the foundation for our Mahele Farm, a 10-acre natural farm that provides 2,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce at no cost to Hāna's most vulnerable community members, and also provides K-12 education through its on campus orchard and māla 'ai (gardens). Mālama Hāloa, our newest program, reconnects youth and their ʻohana with traditional Native Hawaiian foods and the cultural practices surrounding them, through on campus farming and ku'i (hand pounding of poi) and the stewarding of 25 lo'i kalo (wetland taro patches).