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State and city officials joined the Waianae community Sunday, which would have been Twinkle Borge's birthday, at Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae Farm Village for a memorial service honoring her and dedicating the day as a "Day of Aloha."
Borge, a fierce advocate for the homeless community at the Waianae Small Boat Harbor, died Aug. 5 at the age of 54.
Former Gov. David Ige said the last time he met Borge was about a week before she died, when the U.S. Air National Guard came to the Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae site for a training readiness program.
"She was excited and happy to finally be able to make her dream come true in a real way," Ige said. "For Auntie Twinkle it always is about helping people. Being able to offer people a better life is just something that she worked all of her life to do."
Ige described Borge as someone who had immense respect for everyone and recognized the value in each person. He noted that throughout the years he had known her, she was always dedicated to being part of the solution, understanding the community's needs and effectively communicating to officials what worked and what didn't.
"She will be missed but her legacy will live on," Ige said.
Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae, a community of approximately 200 unhoused people, is home to keiki, kupuna and working families, with two-thirds of its residents identifying as Native Hawaiian. The community was led by longtime resident Borge, who was also affectionately known as "Mama."
James Pakele, president of Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae, described Borge as someone who "took care of those that nobody else wanted to take care of, and she saw the value in people that nobody else saw."
"She kind of spent her life lifting the people and, you know, caring them and loving them when nobody else would, at least when they felt that nobody else would," Pakele said.
Borge got her nickname, "Mama," through caring for everyone, from keiki to kupuna, in her immediate community and beyond.
"Very few people, when they walk in a room, the air shift a little bit. They just carry this presence, like this mana, that come with them. She was one of those people. A lot of people try to elevate themselves through votes, being able to beat everybody up. Her power was to just aloha the next person and love the next person. That's why people love her," Pakele said.
In 2018 the village faced the threat of eviction by the state. However, after Ige intervened the community was given time to plan its own transition. This sparked a fundraising effort to purchase private land to establish a permanent village.
Led by Borge, the community purchased a 20-acre property at 85-908 Waianae Valley Road in 2020 to provide shelter, stability and hope for up to 250 people. The project aims to achieve this at a lower development cost, with reduced operating expenses and rents, compared with conventional affordable housing models.
State Rep. Cedric Gates (D, Waianae-Makaha) expressed his gratitude for knowing Borge and having her as a leader in the district he represents, saying, "It was such a blessing."
"She would help with so many things beyond houselessness, and I think she was such a multifaceted tactician when it came to getting things done," Gates said. "Whether it was cleaning up the area, organizing back-to-school donations for backpacks and supplies, or leading the project to secure permanent homes for those with no hope in our housing market, she was always at the forefront. Losing her is like losing a champion who was leading efforts on so many fronts. We're missing a big hole in our heart as a community, and I'm looking forward to working with leaders here to find our next Auntie Twinkle to really step up to the plate to really deliver on her vision and her dream."
Laura-Mae Duclayan, 61, a friend of Borge's, said, "No one can ever replace her. But she has inspired people who will continue her work, carrying the community and carrying us as well."
Duclayan was houseless in 2021 at Sand Island before moving to Ho'okahi Leo Kauhale, located near Kalihi's Transit Center off Middle Street.
She recalled meeting Borge two years ago through the Oahu Lived Experience Council, a group of people with firsthand experience of homelessness, committed to sharing their stories, knowledge and insights to help find better solutions to the issue.
"She was beautiful. She gave us the inspiration to, no matter what the obstacle, just believe in your heart that it can come true and you can overcome it," Duclayan said of Borge. "Wherever she was at, I could call her. When I got frustrated with my own journey going into my kauhale, she would tell me to take baby steps and stay positive."
Duclayan noted that even though Borge lived in Waianae and she resided in town, Borge always made an effort to reach out, not only to her, but to others in similar situations. Borge ensured that everyone was doing well and receiving the help they needed.
"We are all implementing her styles here in Waianae, and we're bringing them to our own communities," Duclayan said. "We're adopting her humbleness, her love -- everything she was. When you come together with people from different backgrounds, it was her inspiration and faith in us that made us strive to get it."
Gov. Josh Green presented a Certificate in Memoriam from the state to Borge's family, along with a proclamation designating Sept. 15 as a "Day of Aloha" in her honor.
"It was her inspiration that drove us to build kauhale places that are safe, reduce harm and help deescalate trauma," Green told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. "That's what Twinkle was all about, and I learned that from her at the boat harbor. Now we already have 12 kauhale sites up, and another one is being built in her community. We hope to have 30 in place by the end of next year, all inspired by her.
"She inspired us to actually do something, and that's extraordinary."