Hānai Kaiāulu

Lifelong Waianae resident Mikala Pieper has been a kumu for more than 20 years. Kumu Pieper is the executive director of Hānai Kaiāulu, a student-led non-profit venture committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, replenishing our soils, and reducing dependency on landfills. 

Pieper originally wanted to be an attorney but persuaded by her high school economics teacher, she pursued teaching instead. Her education journey took her from Waianae High School to UH Hilo for a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies and to Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA for a master’s degree in Education. Kumu Pieper currently teaches Hawaiian Language and Studies at Nānākuli High School.

Creation of the non-profit Hānai Kaiāulu was inspired after Kumu Pieper, and a small group of her former students volunteered at Kaala Farm during the COVID pandemic. The experiences fueled an environmental curiosity among the group, which led to learning about composting and soil regeneration. Kumu Pieper connected with other grass roots environmental groups on Oahu and Hawaii Island to learn about their community initiatives. In 2020, Hānai Kaiāulu was formally organized as a 501c3 non-profit.

Kumu Pieper and her students now lead a zero-food waste initiative at Nānākuli High School, using Bokashi food composting to nurture the soils in the on-campus māla. Additionally, Kumu Pieper has teamed up with AVID teacher Nicole Mikes to lead a new hui organized by NHIS students, “Scrappahz Union 96792”. The Scrappahz hui hosts a monthly Sustainable Saturday, where they exchange donated produce for cardboard. The hui shreds the cardboard with a special machine. Community farmers then use the shredded cardboard to retain moisture in the soil and decomposes.

You might think Kumu Pieper is transitioning away from her Hawaiian Studies curriculum, but it is through her emphasis on the environment, caring for the aina and project-based learning that she uses Hawaiian language to engage students and discuss relevant community needs. Her projects also serve to demonstrate how Hawaiian values and perspectives may be applied to global concerns. 

A long-term objective of Hānai Kaiāulu is to create a community composting hub in Waianae, but for now the organization is focused on education and community outreach. For questions, information or to donate, you can email Kumu Pieper at HanaiKaiaulu@gmail.com and follow their activity on Instagram @HanaiKaiaulu.