Empowering Communities
By David A. Santistevan, Executive Director, LEAF Hawaii
“Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.” -Cree Indian Prophecy
The idea to start the Laulima Ecofriendly Alliance of Farms (LEAF) Project Hawaii first came to me while thinking about what we could do to tackle disparity in our society. I thought what a simple solution it would be if we could provide the unemployed with vacant lands and teach them how to grow food for themselves and for their communities.
LEAF is committed to creating self-sufficient communities where at-risk populations are empowered through farming to guarantee food security and employment for everyone willing to work. LEAF Project Hawaii is a communitybased green nonprofit that aims to solve hunger and poverty through its Aina Corps Organic Farming Training Program.
