Market Research Identifying Problem and Target Beneficiary

According to research shared by the Urban Institute, one in five American children currently live in poverty, and almost double that amount of people will be in poverty for at least one year before they turn 18. That is roughly 29 million children (about the population of Texas) affected. Since about half of poor newborns will be consistently poor, they are 23 times more likely to spend half of their early adult years below the poverty line. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6699621/

Research shows that a disadvantaged life can produce "toxic stressors" that harm brain development and are known to lower IQ scores as early as age 5, reducing academic achievement. Stress also leads to a higher risk of long-term health problems, lower educational outcomes, and shorter life expectancy. Child Poverty, Toxic Stress, and Social Determinants of Health: Screening and Care Coordination https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6699621/

Toxic Stress: Effects, Prevention and Treatment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928741/

Initial Target Beneficiaries According to studies conducted by the Hawaii DOE, in 2018-19 there were 3,604 students in unstable housing in 2018-2019 (p. 12) https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ParentsAndStudents/EnrollingInSchool/Pages/Resources-for-homeless-families.aspx https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/Reports/COWXIFICreport091919.pdf

The Solution

Research has shown that access to consistent, caring adults who are positive, nurturing, and responsive can protect children from the harmful health effects of “toxic stress.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928741/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6699621/

Research also shows that having access to quality education increases the chances for positive life outcomes. https://www.ets.org/s/research/pdf/poverty_and_education_report.pdf

Kokua Project aims to provide mentorship, care, and education to its beneficiaries to affect meaningful and measurable change.

KP will conduct studies to prove the efficacy of its programs, our result will be posted online.