Hoʻiwai Framework
Hoʻiwai originates from the traditional ahupuaʻa system, where water (wai) begins its journey from mauka (the mountains) and flows makai (toward the ocean). Along its path, the stream is carefully diverted into loʻi kalo (taro patches), where it nourishes the plants, enriches the soil, and sustains life. As the water flows through these loʻi, it gathers nutrients, vitality, and mana from the ʻāina before returning to the main stream.
The moment the water reenters the main flow restored, cleansed, and full of life is known as Hoʻiwai.
In essence, Hoʻiwai is both a metaphor and a movement: a commitment to the flow of restoration, to circular care, and to ensuring that the systems we touch leave people filled with nutrients, love, and the life-giving force of wai.
artwork created by Haley Kailiehu
Hoʻiwai Framework
Our framework draws upon this ancestral wisdom. We see every person, project, and partnership as a stream of water entering our collective loʻi. When they move through our space, we nurture them with knowledge, compassion, and cultural grounding. Our kuleana is to ensure that when they return to their own streams—whether that’s their ʻohana, community, or career—they are replenished, strengthened, and uplifted.
We also carry a responsibility to extend this practice outward. We encourage all who work within our networks especially those engaging with individuals impacted by the criminal justice system or any state or government system to embody the same spirit of Hoʻiwai. This means creating spaces that heal rather than harm, that restore rather than retraumatize, and that return people to their paths better than when they entered.