Since its beginning, Hoa ʻĀina O Mākaha – “Land Shared in Friendship” – has centered its focus on supporting family, community self-reliance, and peacebuilding on O‘ahu’s Waiʻanae Coast. When visiting, one can feel the land’s power: a fertile educational center that emerged from barren land.

Originally founded as an alternative learning center for children, Hoa ʻĀina now hosts an array of programs guided by the spirit of learning from which the farm grew. Together with the children of our communities, Hoa ʻĀina helps people of all ages to rediscover our Hawaiian cultural roots, care for the ‘āina, and love for each other and the world.

Besides daily interaction with the 600-plus students of Mākaha Elementary School, Hoa ʻĀina’s centerpiece is its Container Garden Program. This program aims to teach community members and families how to connect to the food they are eating by growing it themselves. The workshops are free, and Hoa ʻĀina provides materials to start and maintain your own home garden.

HACBED worked with Hoa ʻĀina to support its organizational sustainability, leadership development, and emerging partnerships.