Malu 'Aina is by no means a "top-heavy" organization. No one at Malu 'Aina receives salary or wages. We are an all-volunteer community, living simply on catchment water and solar-generated electricity.
Life on the farm involves rigorous physical labour under basic living conditions. We try to live a life of community service by helping people in need of food, and through our work for peace and social justice. We are interested in people who want to make life changes in this direction.
There is a policy of no illegal drugs at Malu 'Aina. Presently, our primary need is for voluntary physical labor on the farm. Basic jobs include planting, weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting various fruits and vegetables including taro, sweet potatoes, beans, corn, salad greens, bananas, papayas, etc. We also raise catfish and tilapia in water catchment tanks. Other tasks include basic building and farm maintenance, the upkeep of peace and justice trails, and some supervision of other volunteers.
We are involved in a variety of social issues: anti-militarism, support of Hawaiian sovereignty, rainforest preservation, opposition to food irradiation and eucalyptus tree plantations, pushing agricultural self-sufficiency in Hawaii, and a more just economic order.
Malu 'Aina provides room and board along with a valuable experience in organic farming, aquaculture and social justice. However, there is no salary or health insurance. Generally, we work six days a week. Fridays are busier than other days, when we prepare for the farmers' market on Saturday where we market most of our produce to help meet expenses. Sunday is usually a day of rest.
We try our best to live a consistent non-violent ethic of life, but there is always room for improvement. Peter Maurin, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement put it this way:
"The world would be better off if people tried to become better. And people would be better if they stopped trying to become better off. For when everybody tries to become better off, nobody is better off. But when everybody tries to become better, everybody is better off. Everybody would be rich if nobody tried to become richer. And nobody would be poor if everybody tried to be the poorest. And everybody would be what they ought to be if everybody tried to be what they want the other person to be."
Name:_______________________________ Date: _____________________
Address:___________________________________________________________
City:______________________________ State/Country: ______________
Zip:______________________ Phone: _______________________
Age: ________________ Sex:___________
1. What is your physical condition? (poor, fair, good, excellent)
2. Do you have any physical impairments that would prohibit or limit your work on the farm? If so please explain.
3. Please explain briefly why you would like to be a Malu 'Aina volunteer.
4. What dates would you like for your Malu 'Aina sojourn?
5. Do you have any experience in organic farming and/or social justice involvement? If so, please explain briefly?
6. Do you have any special needs? If so, please explain.
7. What is your spiritual/social background?
8. Please highlight one or two significant events/turning points
in your journey of life.
Thank you for sharing. If you have any questions please call Jim
Albertini at (808) 966-7622.