Project Maona: MAO Organic Farm’s Edu-preneurial Auwai Expansion

Wai’anae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC) will leverage the catalytic expansion of MAʻO Organic Farms, a native Hawaiian, community-governed social enterprise, to cultivate and mentor a cadre of entrepreneurial youth, empowering them to succeed in the workforce and lift up the lāhui (community) by supporting their attainment of college degrees. Currently, the Waiʻanae moku (region) struggles with the impacts of intergenerational poverty, including preventable diseases, homelessness, and hunger. Further, these socio-economic disparities disproportionately impact native Hawaiians, who make up 58% of the community, and are entrenched in the relationship between low educational attainment and low income. Nearly 88% of the community lacks a Bachelor’s degree, leaving well-paying jobs out of reach. The Māʻona project will expand the participation of 18 youth ages 17-24 in the MAʻO internship and farm apprenticeship ʻauwai (college to workforce pathways). The on-farm knowledge and skills training mentorship of both ʻauwai participants and interns’ will be fortified and formalized, facilitating employers’ valuation of their experience. As community leaders, MAʻO graduates are empowered to move their families and community from the harsh truths of generational poverty toward māʻona, toward generational abundance and prosperity. Ultimately, Waiʻanae will be home to a thriving lāhui where pono economic development is rooted in sustainable ʻāina-based work, education is embraced as a community practice, and college-educated youth are engaged in sustaining careers.