Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke began in Fall 2000 to meet the needs of at-risk students in Hana, Maui, in a way that would promote their unique skills and talents. The program was also designed to fill a gap for construction trades, and to provide skills training and much-needed facilities to our local community.
In the program’s fifth year, we entered a new era—that of greater community involvement. By introducing the concept of kokua (helping others), we gave our students the experience of doing something good for and being valued by others, with the aim of getting them “high on giving,” hooked on the feeling of helping others for life.
Now in our eleventh successful year, we’re seeing results not just in our student participants, but we’re seeing lasting changes in Hana itself. The many kupuna (elder) cottages our students have built are helping solve our local housing crisis. The handicap-access ramps and countless safety retrofits they’ve created are keeping our aging population safely at home, surrounded by those who love and can care for them.
And while we’ve increased our focus on serving community, we also help meet the needs of the Hana School district, where many of our activities take place. Our on-campus facilities serve as daily reminders of our students’ ability to not just imagine but succeed and to be leaders of forward-thinking trends, such as building with bamboo and installing alternative energy systems in local family homes.
The mission of Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke (“In Working, One Learns”) is to provide at-risk 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.