Mālama Nā Pua

Care For and Serve The Children

“He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka.”

(The land is chief; man is its servant.)
— Hawaiian ʻōlelo noʻeau, recorded in ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, No. 531

Mālama Nā Pua is a Native Hawaiian-led, ʻāina-based youth development program rooted in food sovereignty, cultural practice, and community healing.

Based on Hawaiian Homestead land in Kula, Maui, this program responds to the urgent need for food security, youth connection to culture and purpose, and long-term community resilience in the wake of the Lahaina wildfire.

We are not just growing food—we are growing the next generation of leaders grounded in aloha ʻāina.

[Apply Now] [Support the Program] [Volunteer]

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Kumukahi Ke Aloha proudly launches Mālama Nā Pua, a flagship program grounded in Hawaiian Soulfulness™, a holistic approach that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit through connection to ʻāina, culture, and community.

Starting Fall 2025 at He Lei O Kumukahi Farm on the Waiohuli Hawaiian Homestead, youth ages 14–26 will help build a living, breathing healing and learning center from the ground up.

This is not a new idea—it is a return to ancestral practice.

“ʻO ke kahua ma mua, ma hope ke kūkulu.”
The foundation comes first, then the building.

WHAT YOUTH WILL EXPERIENCE

Participants will:

  • Build and maintain regenerative growing systems

  • Cultivate food, lei, and medicinal plants

  • Learn laʻau lapaʻau and cultural healing practices

  • Engage in kilo (observation), protocol, and storytelling

  • Develop entrepreneurship skills through CSA and product creation

  • Strengthen identity, pilina, and kuleana

WHY THIS MATTERS

Maui communities continue to face rising food insecurity, disconnection from ʻāina and cultural practices, and long-term impacts from the Lahaina wildfire.

Mālama Nā Pua addresses these challenges by creating a self-sustaining system of food, knowledge, and leadership rooted in place.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Stipends for youth participants

  • Hands-on farm and cultural workshops

  • Healing and reflection days

  • Seasonal CSA distributions to wildfire-impacted ʻohana

  • Starter kits for home and homestead gardens

A WORD FROM OUR TEAM

“We convey our deepest gratitude to our partners for your investment in our work of Aloha. This living classroom arrives at a golden moment—where youth can experience the sacred act of building not just a farm, but a center of healing, knowledge, and community from the soil up.”

— Paulo Faleafine Jr., Director & Program Manager

READY TO MĀLAMA?

Eligibility

Mālama Nā Pua is open to:

  • All youth aged 14-26 with priority selection for Kanaka Maoli - Native Hawaiians.

Participants should be:

  • Living on Maui, with a preference for Waiohuli Hawaiian Homestead and wildfire-impacted communities

  • Open to mentorship and building pilina with kūpuna and ʻāina

  • Committed to showing up with integrity, respect, and a heart to serve

No prior experience is required. Come with aloha and readiness to grow.

[Apply Now]
[Become a Partner]
[Donate to Support a Youth]

MAHALO TO OUR SUPPORTERS

  • Maui Economic Opportunity, County of Maui

  • First Nations Development Institute

  • Indigenous Tomorrows Fund

  • and all donors and volunteers who support this work.