Ilima Ho-Lastimosa

KKNOW is addressing these disparities through programs that are grounded in our cultural values in Waimānalo, a rural, predominantly Native Hawaiian community where 30 percent of residents are food insecure. These include programs to restore limu (seaweed) — a traditional source of food and medicine — to the shores of Waimānalo. We also are working to build backyard aquaponics systems that teach families to grow their own food and thus have a constant source of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish.

Over 2,000 individuals have been trained in aquaponics, and more than 400 of these systems have been built and installed in residents’ backyards. We have taught more than 20 families how to raise their own chickens and harvest fresh organic eggs, and through our food distribution program, and we have fed more than 5,000 families during the COVID pandemic, including elderly and homeless community members. In total, we serve 3,500 people annually and have served 15,000 cumulatively.

The moment that sparked my passion

I worked at United Airlines all my life until I got laid off after 9/11. There was no manual on how to get on with my life as a single parent with two young sons who depended on me for everything! I went from making about $50,000 a year to making $6.25 an hour. Around the same time, University of Hawaii researchers were active in our community and I became aware of the disparities that exist. I learned that our kids were “at-risk-youth,” which means I was an at-risk adult, because I grew up the same way they did. This started me on a path to college and graduate school, and inspired me to create a nonprofit that offers programs that deeply resonate with the values and lifestyle of my community and to flip the narrative. Preserving and perpetuating our lifeways is now my purpose.

What I wish other people knew

Hawaiians were healthy, strong people before colonization and Western contact. Because of racist policies that diminished our culture and lifestyle and restricted our access to education and meaningful employment, our people’s health and social status have declined. Our sense of place, our respect for our kupuna (elders) and our cultural identity have been threatened. Yet, being born and raised in Waimānalo has taught me that all the values and strengths that held our communities together are still there. In the last few decades, there has been a call from communities to revitalize Hawaiian cultural practices and rights, and KKNOW is a part of this call.

What makes our approach unique

Our approach is Ma ka hana ka ike, which means, “In working one learns. Knowledge can be acquired by doing.” Our approach as an organization is “To do.” All of our programs are hands-on, experiential and family-based. Multigenerational learning and the wisdom of our ancestors and our elders are also integrated into our approach. When we find a need within our community, whether it is food sustainability, food security, cultural preservation, women’s empowerment or youth development, we figure out a way to make it happen. To accomplish our mission to be a self-sustaining community, we strive to train others within our community with the skills and resources that we have acquired.

My advice to others who want to make a difference

Just do it. Figure out what you want to do and make it happen. I learned this when I lost my job. But you don’t need a crisis to find your purpose. Looking back, my life before was pretty boring. I would just go to work and come back home. I’m so happy that my life did change, because it changed for the better.