Sharing and Creating Abundance

Participants of Ko Koā Uka, Ko Koā Kai are seen here with program founder Mercy Ritte, wearing red, in front of the Molokai Public Library. Photo by Léo Azambuja

By Léo Azambuja

In old Hawaii, sharing was a fundamental part of society. It embodied the aloha spirit with love and compassion, allowing for the community to thrive together and for their ‘ohana to grow.

A program at Molokai Public Library, Ko Koā Uka, Ko Koā Kai (Those of the uplands share their crops, those of the seaside share their catch), has been serving as a hub for trading and sharing produce for island residents for almost a year. 

“We are featuring some of our farmers and producers on Molokai, sharing what they they’re doing with either food that they’re growing or processing,” said Mercy Ritte, who started the program on last year’s Independence Day of Hawaiian Kingdom, or Lā Kūʻokoʻa, celebrated Nov. 28 since 1843. 

Ko Koā Uka, Ko Koā Kai has changed days, format and size a few times since its inception, but has always remained trough to its core; to share food with others, whether they bring something to the table or not.

“You can have something like a tree in your yard that’s producing fruit, or a small little garden,” Ritte said. “It could be one thing, or it could be nothing. You could just come, there’s always so much.” 

A table set near the program’s banner is used for the bartering. People bring fruits, vegetables, plant starters, honey, anything they have grown or created with their crops. They may leave their produce and pick up some of the stuff that’s available. But Ritte said if someone does not have anything to share, they can just pick something up, because toward the end of the day, “there is always so much.” 

“We have a lot,” she said. “We are always trying to share and give.”

Currently, Ko Koā Uka, Ko Koā Kai is held every second Wednesday of the month on the lawn in front of Molokai Library from 4 to 6 p.m. The program is a partnership between the library, ʻĀina Momona, Sustʻāinable Molokai, and Rooted — Growing Lifelong Partners.