Features Overview

Planting Seeds of Connection at Kalihi Valley Homes

Connecting with the land. Connecting with our food. Connecting with culture. Connecting with each other. KKV is pleased to announce the Kalihi Valley Homes Community Garden Project, supported by funding from the Department of Health SNAP-Ed initiative. In another collaboration between the Roots’ MahiʻĀina team and KVIBE, this project is an exciting opportunity to implement a place-based and plant-based education program that engages community members of all ages in learning from the land together.

Inspired by the community’s desire for improved access to healthy, high-quality, culturally relevant foods that foster a vibrant and celebratory food culture, Roots will provide educational curricula and guide the implementation and oversight of the community garden. And the KVIBE youth, many of whom live at Kalihi Valley Homes, will also play an integral part in leading the work in the garden, creating a sense of ownership and pride in their own backyard. In the process of their leadership development, the youth help to build and enrich their community and an emphasis on intergenerational cooperation is a meaningful way to pass on traditional knowledge and create opportunity for long-term systems change at Kalihi Valley Homes, allowing for residents to see the possibilities of growing fresh produce for their families. Community members can cultivate Pacific crops, such as cassava, ʻōlena and sweet potato to generate long-lasting abundance to be shared throughout the community for years to come.

The project is still in its early stages, finalizing the exact location of the garden and collecting input from the community as to what they wish to see in the space. But the garden is envisioned to be a warm and welcoming place of gathering where everyone from keiki to kūpuna can come together to care for the land, to share stories, to grow, to thrive and simply to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine in the good company of neighbors.