Project Close Up: Na'alehu/Pahala Team

The Ka'u District is populated by an ethnically diverse group of people with Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, Portuguese, and European ethnic backgrounds. There are approximately 4000 residents in the Na'alehu and Pahala communities. The area is economically stressed in terms of family income and job opportunities. This problem has been aggravated by the recent departure of the main source of employment in the region, the sugar cane industry.

The Na'alehu/Pahala team is embarking on an ambitious task to address the immediate technology needs of their communities. A survey conducted by the Hawaii Employment Service and another by a local non-profit, Na'alehu Main Street, found that despite the hardships caused by declining employment opportunities, a significant number of residents would like to remain in the area and open small businesses. More recently, community surveys submitted to the Ka'u Community Planning Committee conducted for the EZ/EC program of the USDA indicate that residents are most interested in economic activity leading to cultural and ecology based tourism and small business development. The Na'alehu/Pahala team is working on creating the Na'alehu Main Street Rural Roots Technology Center (RRTC). The RRTC will consist of two computer learning centers, one in Na'alehu and one in Pahala and will be linked by a local area network. Each center will have five computer stations and will be open to the public for several hours each day.

The primary objectives of the project are:

• To consolidate the efforts of the two communities through the linked computer learning centers.
• To provide skills that will give participants the ability and confidence to better their financial situation, either by making them more employable or by opening them up to the possibility of starting their own business. Affordable, hands-on classes will be provided on various computer software and hardware topics. The team is looking into the possibility of providing distance learning whereby a single instructor can conduct classes in both centers simultaneously.
• To provide an after school drop-in technology center for the students of the nearby high school. The team hopes students will become instrumental in promoting the services provided.
• To create awareness, through an on-going publicity campaign, of the ever evolving world of computer technology. Free open house presentations introducing simple and practical applications like the Internet and e-mail, will demonstrate how any individual can use computers regardless of their level of education or any other perceived limitation.
• To provide a living and working Internet laboratory environment where students of all ages can learn telecommunications skills for the next millennium.

The Na'alehu/Pahala MIRA Team created partnerships within their communities and have leveraged funds, physical space and computer equipment to make this project a reality. The partners in this effort with the Na'alehu/Pahala team are Huliau 0 Ka'u, Inc., Atherton Foundation, and Na'alehu Main Street.

The Na'alehu/Pahala MIPvA Team is working to build a communication network with the people within the rural Ka'u district and create opportunities for residents to gain skills that will enable them to remain in the district and earn a livable income.