Page 3 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - March 2, 2022

PROOF POSITIVE
Film Focuses On Food Insecurity
By Steven Hoffen, Hawai‘i Island resident and founder of Growing Peace Inc.
Short film Growing Peace in the Middle East focuses on families honing their hydroponic farming skills. The gardening technique allows people to grow healthier produce with higher yields. MOVIE STILL COURTESY GROWING PEACE INC.
continue to bring hydropon- ics to schools, food banks and organizations that help those in need. My goal is simple but challenging; I want to impact people’s lives, help
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Food insecurity and hunger have become worldwide issues, not just in far off countries but in neighborhoods close to home. Forty-eight percent of Hawai‘i families with chil- dren report food insecurity, while 15% simply don’t have enough to eat, according to a recent study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Col- lege of Social Sciences.
The study suggests the answers lie within sustained intervention and system-lev- el changes. Another viable option being embraced is hy- droponic gardening, which allows people to grow health- ier produce with higher yields anywhere in the world.
I founded the nonprofit Growing Peace Inc. to raise awareness and fight food in- security. Even though I am only 13 years old, I knew there were things that I could do to draw attention to this issue.
together and succeed. This type of program will work anywhere and allow people to grow their own food, and alleviate some of the worry about having enough food on the table.
communities come together in a positive and productive way, and make a better future for the people and the planet.
My goal when creating the nonprofit, and also when making my film Growing Peace in the Middle East, was to empower people who suffer from food insecurity and hunger, and bring com- munities together.
The 17-minute short film was made through a series of remote interviews conducted during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it documents the meaningful, ongoing collaboration be- tween these women despite their cultural differences. To date, Growing Peace in the Middle East has received more than 75 national and international awards and nominations, and was just featured as part of the Univer- sity of Hawai‘i KIDS FIRST! Film Festival, which ran Feb. 12-21.
It was on a trip to Israel that I was first inspired to action after visiting Sindyanna of Galilee, a nonprofit that is helping bring communities together through hydroponic farming. I was introduced to Arab and Jewish women who are cultivating social change and learning hydroponic farming skills.
Last year, I was able to raise the initial $15,000 to fund Growing Peace Inc.’s first hydroponics project to ensure food security for ref- ugees and asylum seekers in Israel. This year, I want to
Sindyanna unites women whose lives couldn’t be more different. They are learning about hydroponics and skills that empower them to come
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For more information, visit growingpeaceinc.org.