Each week, on 10 acres of farmland on the northeastern coast of Hawai‘i’s Big Island, children get a chance to be part of planting and harvesting, a practice that not only yields food for the community, but connects young people to the land, or ‘āina.

“Our youth education programs cultivate that sense of love for place in our youth from a young age,” said No’eau Peralto, executive director of Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili, or huiMAU. The nonprofit has been focused on decreasing food insecurity by transforming acres of former sugar plantation into Hawai‘i’s largest regenerative breadfruit agroforest. Breadfruit is a culturally significant food and was once a primary starch in the traditional Native Hawaiian diet.

Food insecurity became more apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic, Peralto said, and the group is focused on sustainable food production so that “when something like this happens again, it won’t be such a crisis, in terms of food, at least.”

HuiMAU was one of two groups Direct Relief’s Fund for Health Equity supported with $450,000 through the Consuelo Foundation. The foundation has worked with communities across Hawai‘i since 1986, focusing on promoting well-being and preventing abuse and neglect.

The foundation funneled that financial aid, as well as infrastructure and in-kind support, to two Native Hawaiian organizations, huiMAU (featured in the video above) and Moloka‘i Child Abuse Prevention Pathways on the island of Moloka‘i. Both are collaborating on interventions to support children, adults, and the communities on two islands to improve their health and well-being.

The organizations are working to positively impact the social determinants of health through a holistic approach, viewing culture as a protective factor that can help children and families thrive. Both nonprofits are working to reduce health disparities and promote wellness in their respective rural communities.

“My hope is that we’re able to envision a future of abundance, and we’re bringing that vision into reality for our next generation to then take the vision further beyond what we could ever imagine in our time now,” Peralto said.

Video directed, produced, and edited by Oliver Riley-Smith
Director of Photography – Will Jobe
Additional footage – Anianikū Chong
Featuring – No’eau Peralto, ‘Elika Jardin, Tim Garren
Special thanks to Dawn Mahi, Haley Kailiehu, Martha Lee