Iwikua

IWIKUA SERVES AS AN EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRODUCTION, WELLNESS, AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT TO BENEFIT WEST KAUAI AND HELP RAISE FUTURE GENERATIONS TO BE CULTURALLY-CENTERED LIFE-LONG LEARNERS WHO FULFILL ACTIVE ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS FARMERS, EDUCATORS, AND LEADERS.

NA MAHI HO'OKO A'E IS THE EDUCATIONAL FARM PROGRAM OF IWIKUA THAT FOCUSES ON SUSTAINABLE FOOD PRODUCTION; INTEGRATING TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN GARDENING TECHNIQUES WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE OPERATION OF OUR LARGE-SCALE AQUAPONICS SYSTEM AND IN-GROUND CROPS. WE PROVIDED A VARIETY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO OUR WEST KAUA'I COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RESTAURANTS, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL DUE TO THE INCREASED DEMAND OF LOCALLY GROWN FOOD AFTER THE COVID19 PANDEMIC. OVER THE YEAR WE WORKED WITH 15 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING SCHOOL BREAKS TO DO INTENSIVE INTERNSHIPS WHERE THEY WERE IMMERSED IN THE ENTIRETY OF THE FARM OPERATION, FROM SEED TO SALE HELPING WITH PLANTING, HARVESTING, PACKAGING, MARKETING, AND DISTRIBUTION. WE ALSO HAD OVER 30 VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT HELPED PRODUCE 13,730 POUNDS OF FOOD (INCLUDING 11,655 POUNDS OF MIXED GREEN LETTUCE) THAT WENT DIRECTLY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY. YOUTH PARTICIPANTS WERE ABLE TO TRACK THEIR SUCCESS FIRST HAND, AND FOR MANY, THIS INSPIRED AN INTEREST IN AN AGRICULTURE CAREER.

IWIKUA HAS A HOLISTIC VIEW OF WELLNESS WHICH INTEGRATES CULTURAL CONNECTION AS WELL AS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL STRENGTH. OUR COMMUNITY FITNESS CENTER IS OPEN TO MEMBERS EACH DAY AND ALSO PROVIDES WEEKLY GROUP FITNESS CLASSES. WE HAD AN AVERAGE OF OVER 50 RECURRING MONTHLY MEMBERS, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 19 NEW MEMBERS OR VISITORS EACH MONTH. OVER THE YEAR, 8 STUDENT AND ADULT VOLUNTEERS AIDED IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE CENTER AS WELL AS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SOME WORK TRAINING THROUGH CUSTOMER SERVICE, UTILIZING THE MEMBER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, AND BASIC GYM EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. MTC OFFERS A FREE, AGE INCLUSIVE TRACK CAMP DURING THE SUMMER. THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE IN TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS, AND PROVIDES WELLNESS DATA POINTS FOR IWIKUA AS AN ORGANIZATION. TRACK CLUB PARTICIPANTS ALSO VOLUNTEER IN IWIKUA-HOSTED COMMUNITY RUNS. FOR 2021, WE RECEIVED A GENEROUS IN-KIND DONATION OF THE FACILITY EXPENSES FROM WAIMEA GARAGE LTD. VALUED AT $38400.00 FOR RENT AND UTILITIES EXPENSES AND ARE THANKFUL FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN OUR WELLNESS PROGRAMS.

IWI CAMP IS FOCUSED ON INTEGRATING IMPORTANT CULTURAL PROTOCOLS AND LESSONS WITH HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE, AND IMPLEMENTING ANCESTRAL FARMING METHODOLOGY AND VALUES. IN PREVIOUS YEARS, IWI CAMP WAS FOCUSED ON CULTURAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN OUR YOUTH AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. WE WERE ABLE TO HOST SPRING AND SUMMER BREAK INTERNSHIPS FOR TWELVE YOUNG ADULTS HERE, BUT DUE TO COVID 19 WE WERE STILL UNABLE TO TRAVEL, DESPITE HAVING RAISED SOME FUNDS. THE FUNDS DONATED TO THIS PROGRAM WERE CRITICAL IN DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE. FARM INTERNS WERE HANDS-ON IN DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEREFORE EXPERIENCED AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF FARM DEVELOPMENT. THE CAMP FOCUS FOR 2021 WAS PREPARING THE STUDENTS AND ADULTS TO BE SOLID IN THEIR CULTURAL OFFERINGS, SO THAT WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES FOR TRAVEL EXCHANGES WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES THEY WILL BE PREPARED.