Hānai Kaiaulu is a student-led nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through sustainability, cultural connections, and community service. We transform cardboard waste into community resources and create opportunities for youth to grow as leaders who care for the land and their people.
Hānai Kaiāulu empowers youth in a marginalized community through sustainability, cultural connection, and service. Our key programs include Sustainable Saturdays—where cardboard waste is exchanged for fresh produce and transformed into sustainable solutions as a community resource. Each year, we directly engage hundreds of students and families on the Waiʻanae Coast, with ripple effects across the islands.
We are addressing the long-standing impacts of legacy pollution by diverting thousands of pounds of cardboard from landfills, repurposing it into nutrient-rich soil for farmers, and providing families with fresh, locally grown food. This access to clean mulch is critical given the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle infestation, which threatens Hawaiʻi’s coconut trees and overall soil health.
Our work not only sustains local agriculture but also feeds families and uplifts youth voices. By taking action, our youth are changing the narrative of negative stereotypes placed on our community—showing that resilience, innovation, and aloha ʻāina define who we are.
We have purchased and delivered cardboard shredders to schools statewide, sparking sustainability initiatives across Hawaiʻi, and our youth leaders have been recognized at the city, state, and federal levels for their leadership in climate action and education.
Itʻs a movement!