Cholena Bray

Name Cholena Bray

Age 41

Town/Moku Puna (east). Kapaa

Island Kauaʻi

Leadership Category Mauli Ola - Health, Personal & Family Development

Nominated by Kahealani Peleras

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.

Mother of 3 amazing keiki, Born and raised on kauai , passions are fishing, hunting and farming.
Currently a stay at home mom/ farmer, pre birth, I was a tree trimming grounds laborer and Gardner at my keikis kula.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?

The work that I do is important to me because I want my children and family to live a happy healthy life style and have the option of living a different lifestyle other than the hustle and bustle of the world. Teaching keiki to malama Aina and grow food, knowing exactly what they are eating and also learning work hard and seeing first hand the fruits of their labor. From clearing grass to planting seeds, pulling weeds , harvesting and finally sharing and eating.
I feel it is important for the community due to the fact the world is facing food shortage. With me having a goal to grow food and feed people will provide sustainability for my family and the community.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.

I admire a leader who is tactful, who is not afraid to get down and dirty, a leader who is willing to go above and beyond to understand each situation and help provide solutions. I believe a great leader would be working just as hard as any other team mate.
I try to incorporate my leadership beliefs with any position I hold. Always working hard and encouraging others and show appreciation for their hard work.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?

Well, my parents ,my dad for teaching us to live off the Aina growing and catching most of our food. And my mother who's work ethic is beyond amazing and has worked hard her whole life.
My Children's father who helped me expand my knowledge on healthy eating and nutrition. And of course mainly for the keiki. So that they may have to tools to create and have a healthy future.

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?

Mahiai. Farming

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?

Hale