海角大神

Dean and Michele Wilhelm dreamed of creating a space that was restorative and healing for others, perhaps a relaxing retreat for couples or families. They had no intention of becoming taro farmers.

But Mr. Wilhelm started taking the tropical vegetable from their backyard garden to use in his work as a teacher for at-risk youths and incarcerated juveniles. At the same time, the family began cultivating community through gatherings around traditional Hawaiian food. It became clear that taro farming was just the way for the couple to realize their dream.

Now, nearly 10 years after buying land with all the conditions for a successful taro patch, the Wilhelms are carrying out their vision by running Ho驶okua驶膩ina, a nonprofit organization. They use taro farming as a means of teaching Hawaiian values and mentoring youths facing challenging circumstances.

鈥淸Dean] tells us that the purpose of the place is to grow people,鈥� says Zack Pilien, a聽Ho驶okua驶膩ina intern. 鈥淕rowing taro is a byproduct.鈥�

Some researchers have suggested there are links between an erosion of Hawaiian culture, Western influence in the islands, and higher rates of substance abuse, poverty, mental illness, and other social problems among Native Hawaiians. Drug use is particularly prevalent among youths: About 60 percent of Native Hawaiian students have used drugs by 12th grade, compared with 46 percent statewide, according to statistics from the Hawaii State Department of Health.

The Wilhelms hope that instilling Hawaiian values in at-risk youths will help bolster their sense of self-worth and encourage them to be contributing members of society. And taro farming is a fitting vessel for that culture-based mentoring.

Taro, called kalo in the Hawaiian language, is both a root and leafy vegetable. The root can be prepared and served like a potato or in traditional dishes such as poi, and the leaves are often used to wrap fish or pork in a Hawaiian dish called laulau.

But taro is much more than a dietary staple for Hawaiians. The traditional tale of the first kalo plant is also the story of the origins of the Hawaiian people 鈥� and the Wilhelms use this narrative to help teach a sense of kuleana, or responsibility.

The story varies, but the gist of it is that a god and goddess have a baby who dies. The first kalo plant grows where they bury that child. Then they have another child who lives and becomes the first human. 鈥淭his human being cares for its elder sibling, and that elder sibling in turn then cares for that child,鈥� Dean says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reciprocal relationship.鈥�

The Wilhelms use the story to discuss the responsibility people have to care for the natural world, and for others. They also talk to those they mentor about a sense of self-respect. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to increase positive self-esteem and for them to be able to understand that their life has meaning and purpose,鈥� Mrs. Wilhelm says.

A session in the taro patch

Once a week about a dozen boys who are between 13 and 17 years old join Dean in the mud of the 濒辞鈥檌, or taro patch. The teenagers live at a safe house, called Ke Kama Pono, for at-risk youths.

Dean starts the work session with a Hawaiian proverb, such as 鈥� 鈥楢鈥榦he hana nui ke alu 鈥榠a,鈥� or 鈥淣o task is too great when accomplished together by all.鈥� The group discusses how the proverb applies to work in the 濒辞鈥檌 or other parts of their lives before jumping into the mud 鈥� which is often four feet deep 鈥� to weed, harvest, or do whatever is needed that day.

When the teens get tired or act uninterested in the work, Dean strikes the right balance between 鈥渟tern, direct, and compassionate all at the same time,鈥� says Jared Laufou, direct care counselor at Ke Kama Pono. 鈥淗is tone of voice is never demeaning, but it鈥檚 this kind of tone where he expects you to do your job.鈥�

The boys aren鈥檛 used to being entrusted with a project, Mr. Laufou explains. 鈥淔or a lot of them, they have failed to accomplish something and maybe have been criticized about their failures, so they learned to run away from projects. But working with Uncle Dean at his 濒辞鈥檌, they鈥檙e held accountable.鈥�

The Wilhelms see positive changes, such as in the teens鈥� posture, as they carry themselves with more pride. They also make eye contact more readily, Michele notes.

The changes go beyond the 濒辞鈥檌, Laufou says. As new residents in the safe house realize how their labor at the 濒辞鈥檌 can affect the taro, something clicks and they connect that to how their chores help the household function. 鈥淚 see them actually understanding what hard work is and what it can do, and how it helps more than just themselves but other people around them as well,鈥� he says.

One young man鈥檚 story

Wyatt Allen, age 21, says he probably wouldn鈥檛 have graduated from high school 鈥渋f it weren鈥檛 for Uncle Dean and going to the 濒辞鈥檌.鈥� He did not live at Ke Kama Pono, but he had struggled in school and skipped class. To engage students like him, a high school teacher decided to try an alternative approach to learning 鈥� the聽Ho驶okua驶膩ina mentoring program.

Working in the 濒辞鈥檌 taught Mr. Allen perseverance. At times the tasks or the heat would seem too challenging, but he says he learned that 鈥渟ometimes in life, it鈥檚 like that. You want to give up and drop everything, but you can鈥檛. You just have to push through it.鈥�

After Allen graduated from high school, he interned on the farm until he found another job last September.

The Wilhelms鈥� initial vision grew out of the support they received from their community during a rough patch early in their marriage. 鈥淲e were crushed and had no hope,鈥� Michele recalls, but people stuck by the couple.

鈥淲e were restored鈥� through that support, Dean says. 鈥淎nd once you feel that, you can鈥檛 help but want to touch others and restore others as well.鈥�

When they bought the property for the 濒辞鈥檌, it was a tangled rainforest that no developer wanted to touch. Clearing it felt like a never-ending challenge, they say. But looking out at the land, 鈥淚 could see the taro growing鈥� in my mind, Dean says. 鈥淎nd more importantly, I could see life. I could see people.鈥�

A break from the outside world

Now, going to the taro patch is like leaving the outside world behind for a little while. As one drives down the dirt road to the 濒辞鈥檌, the noise of traffic on the nearby Pali Highway gives way to the sound of the taro leaves rustling in the wind.

Creating that quiet, peaceful space is key in helping the youths let their guard down, Michele says. 鈥淲e saw these young boys with so much anger and hurt and pain coming with this rugged defense. It takes a couple weeks to get through that, but once they figure out that they can let it down in the mud,鈥� she says, then they start saying things like 鈥淚 feel so safe鈥� or 鈥淚 feel at peace.鈥�

The Wilhelms hope that聽Ho驶okua驶膩ina will continue to evolve to include more organizations with individuals who would benefit from the mentoring program. Already the nonprofit has expanded to include weekly community days to bring together people from the area and an internship program to mentor young adults from a variety of backgrounds.

The Wilhelms do sell the taro grown on the farm and hope that the revenue will help pay for the mentoring program in the future. But currently, much of it is funded by grants.

Mr. Pilien, the聽Ho驶okua驶膩ina intern, says it鈥檚 hard to put into words the feeling of being at the 濒辞鈥檌, but he doesn鈥檛 want to leave.

鈥淚 know I can鈥檛 be there obtaining this feeling and this experience from Uncle Dean forever,鈥� he says. So he hopes to build a similar program to teach others using farming. Much like the Wilhelms were touched by others鈥� investment in them, Pilien wants to pass along that feeling.

鈥� For more, visit hookuaaina.org.

How to take action

UniversalGiving helps people give to and volunteer for top-performing charitable organizations around the world. All the projects are vetted by UniversalGiving; 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the listed cause. Below are links to three groups aiding young people:

Global Volunteers aims to advance peace, racial reconciliation, and mutual understanding between peoples. Take action: Volunteer in St. Lucia to help change the lives of children in poverty.

Globe Aware has a mission that includes working with children in slums and other disadvantaged youths. Take action: Contribute funds to build a community center in Romania for the Roma.

Seeds of Learning promotes learning in developing communities of Central America while educating volunteers about the region. Take action: Donate money to support students in Nicaragua and El Salvador.