I’m Kaina Makua, a taro farmer and actor from Kauaʻi. Farming has always been my main thing — it’s how I stay connected to ʻāina and my people. Acting came later, kinda by chance, but everything I do still comes back to the land. That’s where my heart is. I help run KIKA, short for Kumano I Ke Ala O Makaweli. What we do is protect Native Hawaiian food traditions — especially kalo farming — and make sure our community stays strong and fed for the next generations. We get local youth involved through paid internships and green job training, so they can learn real skills and take care of the land instead of working in jobs that take from it.
Since 2015, we’ve brought back over 50 acres of traditional farmland in West Kauaʻi. We’re growing food the way our kūpuna did, while creating green jobs and giving families better access to Native Hawaiian crops. It’s not just farming — it’s culture, healing, and connection.
One thing I’m really proud of is our At-Risk Youth Education program. We help kids who might be struggling find direction through the land. When they work in the loʻi, learn about kalo, and see what it means to care for ʻāina, they start to see their own value too. I always tell people, “I’m always gonna be the same person. I stay in the farm, get my feet dirty every day, and I’ll never separate myself from the youth, from our community, or from ʻāina — because ʻāina healed me.” All I’m trying to do is bring people back to ʻāina so they can be healed too. Everyone needs that place — where you can breathe, release, and feel wanted. That’s why all our programs happen right here at Kumano I Ke Ala. Not many programs for kids give this kind of hands-on experience — farming, culture, and environmental care all mixed together. But that’s what makes it special. We all come together with one purpose: to grow food, grow people, and grow aloha for Hawaiʻi.
Since 2015, we’ve brought back over 50 acres of traditional farmland in West Kauaʻi. We’re growing food the way our kūpuna did, while creating green jobs and giving families better access to Native Hawaiian crops. It’s not just farming — it’s culture, healing, and connection.
One thing I’m really proud of is our At-Risk Youth Education program. We help kids who might be struggling find direction through the land. When they work in the loʻi, learn about kalo, and see what it means to care for ʻāina, they start to see their own value too. I always tell people, “I’m always gonna be the same person. I stay in the farm, get my feet dirty every day, and I’ll never separate myself from the youth, from our community, or from ʻāina — because ʻāina healed me.” All I’m trying to do is bring people back to ʻāina so they can be healed too. Everyone needs that place — where you can breathe, release, and feel wanted. That’s why all our programs happen right here at Kumano I Ke Ala. Not many programs for kids give this kind of hands-on experience — farming, culture, and environmental care all mixed together. But that’s what makes it special. We all come together with one purpose: to grow food, grow people, and grow aloha for Hawaiʻi.
