Our ‘ohana is blessed to live on Moku o Keawe, where I was born and raised, where my kūpuna are from. The places, practices, and people that shaped our childhood remain part of our lives, and our children benefit from many of those same connections. Yet much has changed, most of our ‘ohana now resides off island and we sing off beat ”Happy Birthday” on FaceTime and use group texts to connect. Those of us at home have the kuleana of being the family member physically present to “hold it all together” and carry on traditions while working to provide financially.
Living this reality continues to raise questions about the future and essence of Hawaiʻi, the communities that nurtured us. Have we instilled in our keiki a deep enough aloha for Hawaiʻi that they will choose to build their lives and raise their own ʻohana here? How do we ensure that our generational neighbors have access to stable housing, meaningful careers, and economic security at home?
A desire to preserve opportunity for future generations has guided my career and personal commitment to making Hawai’i more resilient for generations. Professionally, I had the privilege of serving elected leaders across all 4 branches of government in Hawai’i who were grounded in commitment to align policy with evolving needs of community. Recently, my professional journey made a gentle and meaningful transition into education, but the mission remains the same.
That same commitment led me to serve on the board of Hawaiian Community Assets. I believe in the innovation and solution-oriented organization that assists our hardworking and dedicated ’ohana build the stability and security that strengthen the very foundations of our communities in ways that government cannot.
My hope is that our children and grandchildren will be able to say they were born and raised here, know their wahi pana, and have opportunities to build a life in the community they call home. Our kuleana to them comes through service, stewardship, and commitment to create this future.
Aloha,
Jasmine Branco
