Rachelle "Rae" Nam
Name Rachelle "Rae" Nam
Age 65
Town/Moku Ahupuaʻa of Wailua, moku of Puna, mokupuni of Kauaʻi
Island Kauaʻi
Leadership Category Education
Nominated by Kahanu Keawe
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.
I grew up on the island of Kauaʻi and left at the age of 12yrs old to attend Kamehameha Schools and graduated in 1974. I am blessed with two beautiful daughters and amazing son-in-loves, Chelsea & Dustin Lee and Candiss and Fedna Pierre Louis. Thereʻs more~I have 4 akamai and adventurous grandchildren, Kaumaka and Makayla Lee (with one more on the way) and Izaya and Zakai Pierre Louis. All of my 5 siblings (1 brother and 4 sisters) are incredibly talented, creative and we are very close. I moved back to Kauaʻi in 2003 and currently care for my mom who will be 95 years old this year. She is the strength and the example of everything good in our ʻohana. It is a gift for me to serve her during this time of her life.
Being the Executive Director of the non-profit organization, Kukulu Kumuhana O Anahola (KKOA), was never something I thought I would be doing. As a Christian for 31 years, I was surrounded by children and ministries that served children and their families. Iʻve traveled to many states and countries assisting in poverty-stricken areas or encouraging parents (mostly mothers) to not give up hope on their children or their situation. There is always hope in Jesus Christ. In 2005, I became the Childrenʻs Ministry Director for Crossroads Christian Fellowship. I served in that capacity until I resigned on Feb 1 of this year. I also worked as a paraprofessional with Bayada Hawaii serving children with learning and physical disabilities at Wilcox Elementary and Chiefess Middle School. In January 2013, I reconnected with a dear friend who is a co-founder of KKOA . She shared about how KKOA started and the tragic impact that the suicide of 3 teens in the Anahola community had on her and the community. I said to yes to being a board member and my life has never been the same. KKOA has grown so much and COVID-19 caused our reach to expand quickly. In September of 2019, we were given the right of entry to 10-acres of land in Anahola to move forward with a new project called Ulupono Anahola~an Agricultural Community Garden and Youth Center.
I was asked to consider stepping down from the board to take the role as the Executive Director and with a lot of prayer, I accepted the role in November 2020. My responsibilities included completing the due diligence of our project, acquiring a license from DHHL for our property, hiring staff, continuing our existing programs with students and volunteers who deliver much needed food and fresh fruits and vegetables to our kūpuna and ʻohana in need and provide workshops and events throughout the year that train youth and ʻohana in suicide prevention, encourage building life skills to strengthen oneʻs identity through Hawaiian values, empowering our Native Hawaiian community to successfully manage their future and establishing healthy and sustainable outcomes that will perpetuate our culture resulting in a safe and thriving community.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?
The Anahola community is important to Ke Akua and He is the one that called me to serve in this capacity. On my own, this role was not on my radar. I have great memories attached to this community. Spending time at Anahola beach with aunties and uncles and my brother raising his children in this community was always safe and fun. Things were pristine and abundant with fishing and picking limu. This is no longer the case. Suicide rates are the highest in the state, homelessness, drugs and disrespect for our kūpuna and this ʻāina have been so prevalent. Approximately 400 acres along our coastline had been lined with abandoned vehicles and completely trashed. When KKOA surveyed the community in 2015, they shared their top 3 priorities: education, building life skills and perpetuating their culture. What was important to them, is important to me... to KKOA. This community is filled with amazing, talented and gifted people from cultural practitioners, artists, musicians, farmers, heavy equipment operators, chefs, successful business men and women, general contractors, lauhala weavers, nutritionist, film producers, financial advisors, laʻau lapaʻau practitioners, teachers, attorneys and the list goes on.
The work that I do is important because our youth and ʻohana deserve to have their safe spaces and places returned. The connection between our kūpuna and the younger generation need to be restored. It has been quickly replaced by video games, texting and access on every electrical device. Our kūpuna are our greatest asset and their ʻike and manaʻo is valuable and need to be treasured. Also, COVID-19 was a rude awakening that revealed how dependent we are on outside sources. Our farmers were and are the heroes and a transition took place when reality hit and revealed the lack of a self-sufficient food system was no where to be found in a community that has almost 50 farm lots with only about 10 of them producing food. Training, mentoring, growing our native foods, and producing a food system within the community is now a priority. Itʻs proven that when you malama the ʻāina, your mind and body responds positively. When ʻohana work together, the chances of suicide decreases. A transformation is already taking place and as we keep introducing fresh foods and cultural practices to our ʻohana, the health (mind, body and soul) of this community will keep shifting towards resilience. This is important work that needs to continue for generations to come, not just for our youth, but for our ʻohana and our community.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.
I admire leaders who put God first in words and deeds. This quality immediately indicates that they are not perfect, they donʻt have all the answer and they are able to have faith that people can change and communities can change when no one else can see it. This kind of leader is also able to exercise self control when injustices come their way and they have an understanding of what it means when others are treated unjustly. I admire leaders who use their gifts and talents to lift others up and not only themselves. They are wise in managing their time and resources so they donʻt get burnt out or make reactive decisions that would bring harm to others or themselves. I admire leaders who are willing to keep learning even from those younger than them. This takes great humility and listening skills. I also admire leaders who know how to have fun and who love drawing others into it too. These are the leaders that never call their work work or equate dollars to success even if it takes dollars. Their success is proven by excellence, commitment and in the lives of others.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?
There is a list of people who have provided inspiration for me to do what Iʻm doing right now. The Lord and my mom would be at the top of my list. They are the dynamic duo in my life. When I was back pedaling at the thought of the responsibilities in this position, we prayed and I had a peace about moving forward to accomplish what was needed. Having worked in this community since 2013 with KKOA, the love for this community just kept growing, so my commitment wasnʻt the question. I really felt inadequate, but my mom kept reminding me of the countless times that I was asked to do something and felt inadequate and how the Lord always equipped me for the work that needed to be done. I need those reminders. Sheʻs a pillar to our ʻohana (4 generations strong right now). My children and my siblings follow in those footsteps so I know what itʻs like to have a supportive family and I have that same support even from my nieces and nephews. Every family should have this.
Kuʻuleialoha Punua is an amazing Co-founder and President of KKOA and through her encouragement, vision, generosity and wisdom she has remained an exceptional example to our board, to me and to our community. We have spent countless hours of listening to others, preparing and attending workshops and events, and getting our hands dirty working together on the ʻāina. When the mountain of tasks look overwhelming, between she and my mom, a quick reality check on why Iʻm doing what Iʻm doing gently brings me back to what is important... the lahuʻi I was called to serve.
The organizations and individuals we partner with in this community inspires me in so many ways. When I think of Edwin Nakakura and our prayer team, Jeff Rivera from Kauaʻi Ranch, my niece-Malia Makanani, Megan Fox from Mālama Kauaʻi, Dawn Mahi from Consuelo Foundation, the team at Hawaii Community Foundation, La Contrades from Ka Hale Pono, Jeremie Makepa from the Kauaʻi Fire Prevention Division, Nalani Kaneakua from the Limu Project, Kanoe Ahuna from Kanuikapono Charter School, the women of Wahine Pōʻai, Eric Hansen from Go Farms Hawaii, Emily Cadiz and Lei Wann from Limahuli Gardens and Hui Makaʻainana o Makana, Kahanu Keawe, Pelika Andrade, Stacy Sproat and Kaipo Like from Wāipa Foundation, Yoshi LʻHote from ʻĀina Hoʻokupu O Kilauea, Karolyn Freuler from Nourish Kauaʻi, Peleke Flores at Malama Huleia, Josh Mori from Na Mahi Hoʻokō Aʻe, Kaina Makua at Kumano I Ke Ala, Erin Cobb-Adams from Kamehameha Schools, Strather Ing and Ahia Dye from OHA, Kaipo Duncan and Nancy McPherson from DHHL, our volunteer team that delivers food to our kūpuna, Cami Pakchong from Rainbow Roots Farm, mahiʻai Adam Asquith and Alex Diego, the team from the Kauaʻi Resilience Project, Patricia Wistinghausen, and all the cultural practitioners and students we work with. I know there are more I could name, but really... every single one of these people blow me away. They are the hardest workers I know that would stop in an instant if we needed help, they have ʻike that surpass me by a long shot and their passion and love for those they serve put their communities at the forefront~never themselves. I feel so honored and privileged to be a learner in their presence at any given point and time. Their can-do, will-do, hoʻomau attitude... this is our lāhui... this is Kauaʻi... they all impart who they are into our Anahola community. How can I not be inspired and in turn bring inspiration to this community?
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?
Transformation
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?
Sustainability