Aloha e nā poʻe ʻo Hawaiʻi! My inoa is Benji Ah Sing and I hope this message finds you well. For the past two years I have had the privilege of being an intern here at Hoʻokuaʻāina. To my recent delight Iʻve also been honored with the promotion to co-farm manager entailing new kuleana and a greater sense of management skills. My time here with our organization has aided in molding the kāne that I am on my way to becoming.

Aloha! I am Keʻalohilani and I am from Kapaʻakea in Mōʻiliʻili. My first summer working here in 2018 was a transitioning mode for me. Fast forward a year and a half, I am still at the loʻi thanks to the timing and welcoming crew that have allowed me to grow with Hoʻokuaʻāina.

My name is Zachary Pilien, home is Kāne’ohe, and I am a Kalo farmer. My story with Ho’okua’āina begins shortly after I finished my studies at UH Mānoa in the spring of 2016. I had chosen Plant and Environment Protection Sciences as my major field of study, with intentions of doing forestry and conservation work...

My name is Ethan McArdle and I am from Moku o Keawe (Big Island). I grew up in Paʻauilo running barefoot in the mountains, and getting my feet dirty with my 10 other brothers and sisters. We spent most of our days down at the beach in Waipio, swimming in the ocean, playing in the...

“Ka manu ahai, kanu awa ē” The bird that clips the twig and plants it elsewhere. I don’t know how long the creator has it for me to be at Ho‘okua‘āina, but I know that after my time there, I will take all that I have learned and use it most effectively. Like the manu,...

As I reflect on my time at Hoʻokuaʻāina, I can see just how drastically I’ve grown over the past two years. I’ve worked with the most grounded, steadfast people who have goals of building relationships and living pono.

If you’re looking for a good laugh, make sure to find Brandon. A Kailua native, Brandon has been working with Hookuaaina for almost three years and is now our lead intern. His mom used to run a state program that brought transitional teens to the lo’i. When that program ended, his mom asked if Uncle...

If you’re ever in need of a smile, Deon will have one for you. He is funny, full of life and brings joy wherever he goes. When he first came to Hookuaaina six years ago that wasn’t the case. He was extremely shy and introverted. Now, Deon is one of our hardest working interns and...