April 2025
After many months of removing grasses, weeds, and trees, we finally put kalo into the māla. Haumāna used the skills they learned from Kumu Jesse and built kipikipi (raised mounds) using hand tools. It was not an easy task, but the results were amazing! Now we have the huge kuleana to mālama these kalo.
While preparing our māla space at Kahumana, haumāna were also hard at work helping community partners coordinate community engagement events. A group worked with the Niu Now project and helped with the Niu Now film screening event after several weeks learning all about niu and its importance to our kūpuna. Another group partnered with the Waianae Mountain Watershed Partnership and helped coordinate their Earth day events. They brought community members together to help weed and plant at both the Makaha and Kaʻala fire breaks. Finally, a group helped Hoa ʻĀina o Makaha with their monthly u-Pick event where community members come and pick crops at the farm.
