A LETTER FROM DR. DERAUF

As 2023 ends, I’m encouraged, excited, and grateful to all of you for working so hard and creatively for the Kalihi ahupua’a and for KKV!  Every day I come to work feeling lucky to be among you.

As usual, it’s been an eventful year.  We welcomed so many new staff to our ‘ohana that they all couldn’t fit on the stage at our annual retreat.  We developed a resonant strategic plan that rightfully prioritizes staff capacity-building, leadership development, and succession planning at all levels.  We began transitioning from an era of abundant COVID funding to alternative resources, which highlights for us how many friends in public and private places continue to believe in our work (we are grateful for them!).  We’ve also begun integrating COVID’s lessons learned into long-term KKV programming, especially lessons about the social determinants of health and the urgency of supporting the agency of Kalihi households in housing, finance, education, language, advocacy, and culture.

Perhaps most inspiring of all:  We see a new and expanding generation of young leaders at KKV—powerful young people, community leaders, managers, passionate and innovative thinkers, many from this ahupua’a, who are fully and joyfully dedicated to a healthy, resilient, and empowered Kalihi.   More than anything else, this gives me hope for the future of KKV, for this community, and for the world.

Here are my hopes for the new year:  That we continue to inspire each other and grow our relationships with neighbors, partners and friends, our ahupua’a, and one another; that we more often find ways to slow down, reflect, ground ourselves, and remember the teachings of our ancestors, especially KKV’s super aunties and super uncles who are a foundation and lifeblood for this work; and that we continue to grow in care for this beloved community.

I am grateful for every one of you and wish you a joyous, wonderful, and rejuvenating holiday season!