HOLOMUA Volume 26 Issue 4

Connecting to Culture and Nature

On Saturday, March 8th, our associates, friends, and family gathered at the University of Hawaii Mānoa campus to volunteer at Ka Papa Lo ʻ i o Kānewai. It was a day filled with hands-on work, like picking leaves for fertilizer, pressing mud in the lo ʻ i patch, harvesting kalo, and maintaining irrigation canals. The highlight of the day was the opportunity to learn about Hawaiian traditions and beliefs. We learned Hawaiian stories, proverbs, and valuable lessons about the ahupua ʻ a system that deepened our connection to the land and its cultural significance. Under the warm sunshine, we worked alongside our friends from the International Business Organization (IBO) from the university. Mahalo to everyone who participated in this effort to mālama ʻ āina.

Share something you learned. That they are desperate for people to take some mango off their hands! Within reason and with respect of course – fruit aside, we learned quite a bit of the area’s history and how the lo`i started as a dumping ground (!!) Unfortunate start but only goes to show what resilience and a connection to the land can produce.

Why did you sign up for this event? We’re not just a company that sells insurance and through service events like this one, FICOH shows commitment to insuring the future and well-being of our people. I absolutely love being a part of this effort; plus, anything that grounds me and brings me back to nature at the end of a week is very welcome.

What surprised you about the experience? How many people showed up! I thought ‘moderate to difficult’ physical work would have deterred a lot of people, but we had plenty of hands to make light of the work. It was a different (but soothing) kind of tired at the end of the day.

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT

Kate Mulalap (Customer Service)