AARP Purpose Prize Fellow Ilima Ho-Lastimosa
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By AARP En español
“You don’t need a crisis to find your purpose. Looking back, my life before was pretty boring … I’m so happy that my life did change, because it changed for the better.”
In 2017, I started Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo (KKNOW) to empower Hawaiian communities with tools, knowledge and skills we need to grow our own food and to reconnect to our land and culture. We
aim to revitalize Hawaiian knowledge and pride by building community through collaboration and various land-based cultural practices.
The problem I am trying to solveLike other indigenous communities across the globe, Native Hawaiians disproportionately suffer from health and social disparities in our ancestral homeland. As highly processed and high-fat
Western diets have replaced the traditional high-protein and nutrient-rich diet, Native Hawaiians today have one of the highest rates of cardiovascular diseases among all major ethnic
groups. We experience high rates of mental health problems and tend to live in high-poverty areas with limited healthy food options.