Pu’uhonua O Hawai’i Marae
The Peaceful Sanctuary of Hawai’i
THE CHALLENGE
ALICE:
Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed
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Teachers, health care providers, service industry, agricultural workers
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Do not earn enough to support their families
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Forced to decide between quality child care, paying the rent, or buying food
Hawai'i Data
- 50% of Hawaii County households were below the ALICE threshold. 45% of Hawaii Overall
- KITV Island News, May 28, 2019: “A recent economic study found 57% of Native Hawaiian do not earn enough to survive in Hawaii.”
- Median Price of a home in Hawai`i Aug. 2022: $920,000 (Hawaii Statewide Real Estate Report).
- Normal 20% bank down payment $184,000
- Causing hopelessness, despair and stress resulting in high rates of:
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Family abuse
- Suicide
- No time or energy for the children
What is a Pu`uhonua?
ANCIENT HAWAIIAN CITY OF REFUGE
A place of safety, forgiveness, restoration and peace.
What is a Marae/Malae?
POLYNESIAN VILLAGE CENTER
A place where the villagers gathered for all important village events and decisions.
Samoan Malae
Maori Marae
Pu’uhonua O Hawai’i Marae
OBJECTIVES
Fulfill the Command to Help Those in Need
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- Affordable Housing
- Marae Concept – Traditional Polynesian Village
Help in Emergency Situations
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- Places to stay that also have toilets, showers, laundry room, kitchen
Share the Love of Jesus
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- Social and Spiritual Support System
- Live Christian Values, Kapu Aloha, Discipleship
It’s a Kakou, Community Thing
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- We are all in this together / Blue Zone Support System
Build Independence
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- No government assistance needed
- Opportunities to create family wealth
- Job Skills, Mentoring, and Training
Build Village Churches
Marae Villages
POLYNESIAN VERSION OF ISRAEL’S KIBBUTZIM
- Kibbutz: How Israel restarted
- 2010 statistics – 270 Kibbutzim, over 8 billion in revenues, 40% of Israel’s agricultural production, 126,000 people
- Crime rate significantly lower than the Israel national average
- “Financially, building a home and family is much easier. There’s also no stress. It’s protective, everyone knows everyone, there’s a community, values, it’s different from the city.”
This is not an experimental, unproven model. It has been proven successful in Israel.
In Polynesia it has been the normal way of living for well over a thousand years.
Village living is still the norm in most of the world.
Pu’uhonua O Hawai’i Marae
BENEFITS
- Long-term Housing Solution: No government subsidy costs
- Job Creation: Agriculture, animal husbandry, construction, childcare, medical clinic, auto repair, etc.
- Sustainable Agriculture: Reduce food costs, protect environment
- No Government Assistance needed now or after they finish the Step Up Program.
- Reduce Government Social Service Costs: financial aid, housing, family intervention, police and court costs, etc.
- Reduce Government Counseling Services Costs: Ho`oponopono, Circle Justice, counseling, prayer, discipleship
- Reduce Other Family and Social Service Costs: Job training, childcare, etc.
- Blue Zone Community Support System
- Preservation of Hawaiian Culture and Values
- Promote Family and Community Dialog and Cooperation
Learn More / Support this Project
For more information or to discuss how you can support the Pu’uhonua O Hawai’i Marae project, please email us.
alohakeakua98@gmail.com
