The Vanilla.COMpany Turns Ten: Celebrating a Miracle

How do we measure time?  Years, decades, significant events, transformative experiences?

I’ve been pondering this over the past few weeks  for a couple of reasons. 

Sending Help and Hope to the Horn of Africa

Did you know that five dollars will feed a Somali for two weeks? That there are reliable organizations that donate 100% of their money directly to the people?  Here’s a simple way that you can be a philanthropist and make a huge difference!

Unless you’ve been on holiday for the last two months and haven’t seen a paper or TV, you already know that the worst drought in 60 years is forcing thousands of desperate people to walk long distances from rural villages to refugee camps or big  cities  in a frantic search for food and water.  Over 11 million people in Somalia alone are in need of immediate help.  Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djbouti, Kenya and Northern Uganda are also faced with starvation as rains haven’t arrived for over two years.

This is not an easy time anywhere in the world, but those of us in industrialized countries at least have resources for food and water.  Our brothers and sisters in the Horn of Africa not only have no resources, they are also facing the ravages of a failed state-turned violent in Somalia, and ineffective, corrupt governments in most of the other countries.

It’s easy to be caught in our own stories.  We’re busy, we’re stressed, we’re worried about work, our families, ourselves.  Many of us would like to help but we’re living on a tight budget.  Others of us would happily donate if we know that our money will actually reach the people in need.

There are a number of agencies that I feel are very reliable and where help is arriving.  One is the International Rescue Committee and another is the UN Human Rights Commission

However, there are smaller, grassroots organizations where no one takes a salary and 100% of your donations go directly to food, supplies, tents and medical care.  The African Future is a group of Canadian Somalis who are working directly with people in Somalia. They are in partnership with Somalis in the United States and are together collecting donations for refugees. My friend Ubax Gardheere is a member of the Seattle Somali community and working with The African Future.  Send $5.00 to feed a Somali child for two weeks!  That’s less than a sandwich and a soda!

Hope Without Borders was started in 2005 by friends Lance and Julie Parve.  Lance is a civil engineer and member of Engineers Without Borders.  Julie is a nurse practitioner working in clinics with Somali Refugees in Wisconsin.  In the 1980s they volunteered for two years at a hospital in Somalia and have remained committed to providing training and assistance in creating sustainable projects in Eastern Africa, especially in Somalia and Kenya.  They underwrite all of the work they do and all donations go directly for medical supplies, tools, equipment and other needs.  Currently they are raising funds for tents, medicines and other urgently needed supplies for refugee camps.

We’re all riding on this small space ship together.  What happens across the world from us affects us as well.  Whether you can afford $5.00 or $5,000, you may be saving the life of a future doctor, scientist, social worker, teacher or world leader.   If you have been reluctant to send money to an organization over concern that it will be used appropriately, you now have the connection to four groups where your money will be wisely applied.  Again, it’s theafricanfuture.org  or hwb-usa.org  in case you didn’t click through on the earlier links.

Thank you for reading this and for your support to our African brothers and sisters!

A Three Week Adventure and Must Read Articles

Tomorrow afternoon I fly to Rome. There I will connect with five friends, take the shuttle to the train station and catch the train to Cortona.  Thus begins a three week adventure through Italy, Greece and London!  To say I’m excited is an understatement.  And what makes it even more memorable for me, I arrive in Rome May 13th, the third anniversary of my life-saving surgery.  I have so much to celebrate and I’m filled with gratitude and joy.

The last two days of my trip will be in London, where I will attend a tea party in my honor as well as in honor of the first anniversary of Little Pod, an English vanilla company owned by Janet Sawyer.  We have become great online friends, and I’m very much looking forward to meeting her in person.

Tim Ecott, author of Vanilla, a British book that came out about the same time as my cultural history book, Vanilla will be joining us.  I met Tim here in California when he was doing the research for his book and we became good friends and collaborated with one another on obscure details and information each of us unearthed.  It seems fitting that Tim, who lives outside of London, should be there with us — three vanillaphiles for tea!  Sounds rather like the title of a play.

I had big plans before I left to write another blog besides this one.  I have been baking my way through Alice Medrich’s new book, Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy, and I had hoped to tell you about some of the recipes and give them to you.  However, time has gotten the best of me as it so often does given I’m working seven days a week, and so you will have to either run out and buy her book, which I recommend you do if you have a cookie addiction, or wait until I return, review her book and post pictures and recipes.

In the meantime, I’m providing you with several links that are pertinent for those of us who love food and are also concerned about the safety of our food supply, which you should be!

According to the Brand-Spark and Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper Study, 80 percent of consumers are looking for brands that are healthy.  70 percent of consumers are trying to reduce their consumption of processed foods.  And 60 percent are looking for food products that can reduce the risks of major health issues.

Unfortunately, what the majority of people don’t know or don’t quite understand, is that we have a rapidly increasing number of foods that are genetically modified, and that spell great future danger for us all.  I’ve written about this in several of my blogs because I’m very concerned about the future of food in America.

I invite you to check out the links I’m including here and to become more educated yourselves about what’s happening  if you haven’t already done so, as we are facing the potential of losing control of our food supply and the option of organic foods.

This first link is a short talk on TED by Robyn O’Brien, a Wall Street broker turned food activist after one of her children developed a severe allergy due to genetically modified food.   Robyn talks about genetically modified food and allergies here.

The next link is a short article on Care2.com that talks about toxic gene pollution.  You should know about toxic gene spills in order to better understand how our organic foods can be destroyed by genetically modified crops.

I rather like this article.  It’s about how Monsanto may end up destroying itself because they have not been testing their genetically modified crops and the crops aren’t producing as well as they should be. I’ve seen photos of some of their crops and they were not nearly as healthy as their unmodified counterparts.  Read about it here.

This last article is only distantly related to the above three, but I’m  posting it now as so many people are learning that they have a gluten sensitivity or have celiac. Working at New Leaf, I talk with people every day who have a gluten sensitivity.  In fact, I have a wheat allergy and my son-in-law, grandson and sister-in-law have gluten sensitivities.

Until recently, most people with gluten sensitivities thought they had stomach problems, reflux disorder or irritable bowel syndrome.  It is only within the last ten years that this common illness is being properly diagnosed.  Unfortunately, the FDA has not come up with definitive guidelines for gluten-free products.

While it might seem like a no-brainer to avoid wheat, barley and rye, you would be astonished by how many “invisible ingredients” contain gluten.  For that matter, you would be equally astonished at how many “invisible ingredients” contain genetically modified ingredients!

And herein lies the dilemma. Products containing gmo’s don’t need to be labeled as such in the U.S. Additionally, the FDA has not set standards to protect people who have gluten sensitivities.  You can read about the FDA issue here.

If you are still wavering about whether any of this really matters, please watch The Future of Food. And if you already are concerned, watch it as hopefully you will then join those of us who are organizing to push back against the corruption and power of the big players in the food industry.

Rather than complete this blog on a low note, I will be gathering inspiration and recipes along my journey.  I will have a computer at my disposal and if I feel so inclined, I might even post a blog or two along the way.  And if not, I promise when I return to share all that I’ve learned with you!

Ciao for now,

The V.Q.

From Activism to Hallmark Cards and Back

Every Mother’s Day I feel conflicted.  Not that I don’t like the idea, I’m a mom, after all, and it’s wonderful to be acknowledged and adored.  But I also think about how Mother’s Day began and how vitally important it was until the 1920s when advertisers turned the day into a commercial bonanza with mushy, sentimental cards, boxes of chocolates and large bouquets.  Even that would have been okay if the real meaning hadn’t been lost in the bon-bons.

Since its designation as a holiday in 1914, Mother’s Day has grown so much that it is now the second largest holiday for retail spending (Christmas is the largest). 25 percent of flowers purchased annually are bought for Mother’s Day.  It’s the busiest day of the year for long-distance phone calls as well as for most restaurants.

Given the statistics, isn’t it ironic that Mother’s Day was started in 1870 when Julia Ward Howe, aghast at the carnage of the Civil War, issued the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” asking women to join forces to stop their sons from ever going off to die again?

“Arise, then, women of this day!  Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears,” she wrote.  “Disarm! Disarm!  The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.  Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.”

Howe, who wrote The Battle Hymn of the Republic, called out for a better, more peaceful country, and world.  And, she wasn’t alone. Women in the 19th century saw themselves not only as mothers in their own homes but as mothers of humanity. They took active roles in social reform, the suffrage movement, and a desire to reunite families torn apart by the Civil war.

So much for cute Hallmark cards.

It seems to me that the conversation may be changing in subtle ways, a shift that started in the early years of this century, thanks to the Internet and Social Media. Groups such as Code Pink , Moms Rising, Women Thrive Worldwide and others are emerging, women are organizing and speaking out in greater numbers again, calling for peace and defending programs designed to assist women and children both here in the United States and worldwide.

Now socially conscious non-profit organizations, many of whom assist women and children in developing countries are suggesting meaningful gifts for our mothers.  Groups such as Finca, Mercy Corps, Accion International, Freedom from Hunger and many, many more.

Women’s international news groups such as Pulsewire and Women In Perspective offer articles by women who are writing about issues that matter, including the challenges of emerging democracies in North Africa and the Middle East.

Even award winning New York Times writer, Nicholas Kristoff encourages us to rethink the roses and truffles in favor of medical care and education for women in developing countries.  After all, women have a vested interest in the wellbeing of their children, which includes stability and freedom in their countries.

We can still celebrate our mothers and sisters and wives and daughters and, at the same time, honor the programs that are making a difference for mothers and sisters and wives and daughters in countries where survival is a daily struggle.  A gift of five dollars can be huge, especially if hundreds or thousands of people each donate five dollars.  It’s about priorities.

Five dollars buys a Starbucks coffee and a muffin.  Five dollars also buys food for a week for a girl who could become a doctor or scientist or professor if she is well nourished has the opportunity to go to school.

Next Mother’s Day, consider a gift honoring a woman in your life by donating to an organization in honor of your mother.  Or a birthday gift or instead of flowers for a sick friend.  I can assure you it will make two people very happy.

One mother who can use our help has never had children of her own, but instead, raised two girls whose parents couldn’t afford them. Theresia Ndirangu not only raised these girls but also supported her mother and siblings, paid school fees for numerous students where she taught, even gave up food for herself in order to make sure some of her students had food in their stomachs so they could stay awake in class.

Theresia teaches once nomadic tribal women now relocated to cities, how to cook, garden and care for their children.  She has been mother to hundreds of women.  If we can get her to Brookes College, Oxford, she will touch the lives of thousands of women.

Five dollars might buy you a sandwich.  Five dollars can also make a difference toward getting Theresia to Oxford.  Read about Theresia, then make a donation, however small, to help me get this Mother-to-Many the education she deserves.

Easter: A Tribute to Rebirth

When I think of Easter, childhood memories float to the surface.  Always a new outfit and hat, morning services at a local church, a family party either at our home or that of family friends, and baskets filled with chocolate treats, dreadful candy eggs in bright pastels, jelly beans and very cool Cadbury eggs with the yellow “yolk” centers.

One year I received a perfect little duckling from my grandmother.  I loved it as it looked exactly like a real duckling.  I made it a little home, complete with a water dish and played with it for a very long time.  It never occurred to me that it had actually once been a duckling somewhere,  sacrificed to be used as a child’s Easter toy.

All this feels so very long ago and actually, it was a long time ago.

But it doesn’t seem all that long ago that my nine-month-old daughter crawled around through the grass, crushing decorated eggs with her hands (she was a little confused on the concept), or a few years later, finding a coveted plastic egg filled with money during a hunt in the rural beach town where we lived.

And yet, on Sunday my two grandsons will be running through my garden, hunting for eggs and carrying baskets with foil-covered chocolates, another generation thrilling to the Spring light and brilliant green trees.

Passover and Easter.  Holidays celebrating resilience, hope resurrection, rebirth.  And all around us in the Northern Hemisphere our Mother Earth is reawakening in the warming light.  Kind of amazing, that no matter how technologically brilliant we humans may be, we don’t hold a candle to the magnificence of this annual performance occurring on our Blue Planet.

Then there’s the food.  My Meyer lemon tree is decorated with mildly tart fruit just begging to be picked; my grandson Theo will joyfully gather them for lemonade.  Even though the eggs they will hunt are made of plastic, there will be dressed eggs on the table. (I prefer dressed to deviled as I use neither horse radish nor hot sauce in the filling.)

Fingerling potatoes, fresh asparagus, artichokes, strawberries, baby lettuces — living in Coastal California is a gift, especially in the Spring.

Dessert is always what I consider most as I am a passionate baker.  However, this year my daughter is doing the honors.  Nevertheless, given the bounty of lemons, I will make Lemon Curd and fill little tart shells with this sweet-tart, silky custard, and put a dab of Creme fraiche on top.

Another absolute favorite recipe that I have made for Easter is Italian Custard Cake. Deceivingly light in texture, it’s so good, especially served with raspberry coulis or fresh strawberries.

Another Spring favorite is Almond Rum Cake.  This isn’t a large cake, just perfect for six to eight guests.  Served with fresh berries and whipped cream and it’s very good.

Whether you celebrate either of these holidays or honor the change of light in your own way, may you celebrate hope and rebirth too.

Dollars For A Doctorate: Theresia Ndirangu

Theresia Ndirangu with Mary and Teresia Waweru, girls she raised

Theresia Ndirangu is a single, 42-year-old Kikuyu woman from Kenya with both the focus and determination to succeed at anything she believes in, despite having faced staggering hardships.  Her goal is to earn her Masters and PhD degrees in applied Human Nutrition.  It is Theresia’s dream to receive her degrees, then return to Kenya and work with an international organization in support of tribal women farmers.  As between 60 and 80 percent of the farmers in developing countries, especially in Africa, are women, this is a critically important goal both for Africa and for the world.

Theresia was graduated second in her class with honors in 1993, earning a degree in General Agriculture at the University of Nairobi.  She worked as a secondary school teacher for four years and has been employed by the Ministry of Agriculture as an extension officer since 1997. She trains women farmers and extension staff in sustainable agricultural practices and is currently teaching home economics, focusing on food production, health and nutrition.  This work is extremely important as the Masai and other nomadic tribes are now farm-based but with neither farming nor nutrition experience or skills.

Theresia has been accepted to Oxford Brookes University for work on a Masters degree in Applied Human Nutrition, and was to begin coursework in September 2010.  However, she was unable to find a scholarship in time to begin studies.  She has been granted permission to defer studies until September 2011 and has paid one thousand pounds toward securing her place at the university.  In 2009, the government of the Netherlands sponsored her for a short course in their country.  She has a passport and is permitted to travel internationally.

Theresia and I have been connected since 2005 when I launched the International Tropical Farmers Network, an online group that connected farmers, scientists, social scientists and others working with tropical farmers worldwide.  After being unable to secure a scholarship, she asked for ideas for a way to continue her education.  Given all that Theresia has done for women in Kenya, and given how much more she could offer if she receives a PhD, I am committed to helping her get through a year at Oxford.  I have no doubt that she will receive scholarships to complete her education once she is there.

The following is a more in-depth look at Theresia’s background and why she is so deserving of getting to Oxford.

Theresia was born in 1969 in Nyandarua District in central Kenya.  Her mother was the second wife of an illiterate man who made his living as a driver for the Ministry of Labor.  Theresia was the eldest of five children; when her father’s first wife died, he mother assumed the responsibility of raising six more children.  The family lived in poverty.

Theresia was not only quick in school but at a very young age, she learned to sew, knit, cook and manage a household.  When she wasn’t at school, she cared for her siblings.  She was always in the top ten in her class.  In the evenings she joined her older stepbrother to study together and he often coached her.  As her parents frequently could not afford paraffin for the lamps, they often studied by firelight.  He encouraged her to go to university then get a good job and was a great inspiration to her.  Her English teacher was also an inspiration as he told her she was university material.  Her mother encouraged her as well, saying that only educated people could get good jobs.

When Theresia was in seventh grade her father nearly killed her mother. The domestic violence was so bad that her mother fled with her five children and no funds or way to support them. She finally got work as a casual laborer. Her maternal grandmother then had a stroke and was paralyzed so Theresia’s mother was responsible for her as well. It fell to Theresia to manage the other children while her mother worked.

In secondary school Theresia excelled enough to complete her coursework in two years and was accepted into Nairobi University. Her goal was to be an agricultural officer as she wanted to bring food security to families like her own, the majority of Kenyans, who are very poor.

After obtaining her degree she got a job as a biology and agriculture teacher in a secondary school. Given that her mother, despite being illiterate, was determined that Theresia get through school, Theresia gave back by paying for the education of her siblings. (School is currently free in Kenya, but this is very new. Most African countries charge all children from fourth grade on for entry fees, uniforms, books and desks, which is why there is such a low rate of educated children.)

Despite the fact that Theresia earned very little, she paid the school fees for the children of parents who could not send their children to school in the community where she taught and she also provided food. She says, “It used to move me when I saw very bright children at home for weeks due to lack of school fees and others having no hope of evening meals. At times I could just give them the food I had bought for myself. Sometimes I could give them a grant for the fees and at other times a loan. Then, in 1997 I got my current job, which provided me with enough income to support two girls.”

The girls that Theresia raised (in addition to her own siblings and the children she helped while working as a teacher) are Mary and Teresia Waweru. Theresia says, “I learned of the problems this family was going through when Mary was in class two of her primary education. The children would go for up to three days at a time with one cup of porridge a day. Sometimes their mother went without food so the children could eat…. Mary was expected to go to school and do as well as the others, but during break Mary had no energy to play. She often stopped to sleep on her way home from school for lack of energy, only to have no dinner at night. I took the two girls and raised them, coaching them at night so they could catch up in school. I did without all luxuries such as shoes or a new dress to save the life of those girls and mold their future so that one day they might be able to save a life or two themselves…. I would take them to see their parents for the December holidays.”

Mary and Teresia are now 19 and 17. Mary just missed the entrance to the University of Nairobi by a few points; hopefully she will be given a second chance. Teresia has just taken her exams for level 12.

With the additional schooling, Theresia will be in a position to expand on a national and even international level, the work she already does with women farmers. Through her career, she has found that the women have no knowledge of nutritional foods and which crops will best sustain their families. “I teach them how to prepare the foods, food preservation, the nutritional value of the food, value-added crops, and kitchen gardening. Additionally, I train them in crop production and conservation agriculture.

“I also teach them baking and cake decoration as an income-generating activity. I mostly work with groups of women and encourage them to start income-generating activities in addition to caring for their families so that they will always have a way to support their families.

“Finally, I teach about HIV/AIDS and necessary nutrition for the affected and infected. I trust that one day in the future, together with teaching nutrition and health, I will mobilize funds to support the children – especially girls – from disadvantaged families who cannot afford to support their education. With proper education, girls can achieve so much.”

There is a well-worn axiom that is especially true in developing countries: If you want something done, ask the women. Women are determined to care for their children and their communities. This is why it is crucial that Theresia Ndirangu gets the necessary funds for a year at Oxford. I have no doubt that given this opportunity, she will receive a scholarship to complete her training and to achieve her goals for the women of Kenya and other African countries.

Please join me in raising the dollars for Theresia’s doctorate. Entry fees are $18,000. She will also need airfare, health insurance and living funds. We may be able to place her with a family to save housing fees. Raising $25,000 is not an overwhelming task, especially considering the impact her education will make on the lives of African women.

Send a dollar — or more — to Patricia Rain, P. O. Box 3206, Santa Cruz, CA 95061. If sending a check, please write it in my name as I don’t have an account set up in Theresia’s name.

Tell a Friend: One dollar is less than a cup of coffee. If everyone sends one dollar, Theresia will get to Oxford!

Launching A Non-Profit and Foundation

A few years ago I thought about launching a non-profit for the benefit of farmers and the promotion of pure vanilla.  Between running my business, moderating The International Tropical Farmers Network, a Google group I launched for farmers, scientists and others interested in the issues of the vanilla industry and/or tropics, and being in aggressive chemotherapy for a year, my plate was so overflowing that I realized it wasn’t realistic to try to shove one more thing onto it as everything would end up on the floor, including me.

Then a couple of weeks ago a business adviser suggested that I revisit the idea and to also hit the speaking circuit again.  My first reaction was that it would be wonderful but, between working at New Leaf Market full time and running a business, my plate was still pretty darn full.

But the idea is taking hold.  I considered the usual suspects that might keep me from proceeding.  You know them — fear, lack of experience, the possibility of failure.  All the scary stuff inside us that makes us procrastinate or back off.  Were any of those demons applying the brakes to my idea?  Maybe.

On the other hand, I have taken on bigger and scarier things.  Things like Stage IV breast cancer.  If I could manage cancer as a single woman while also running a business, could a non-profit really be that difficult?

I’ve taken my first step by publicly declaring my intention.  World Pulse is an online and print magazine about women.  They have articles about social entrepreneurs from around the world and the work they are doing.  Some projects are as basic (though equally important) as setting up a well or launching businesses with micro-loans and some are about non-profits that are moving mountains.  A very interesting site that I suggest you visit.

World Pulse announced a month ago that they are running a contest again, soliciting stories from women.  This year they requested stories about miracles, moments that were pivotal in our lives, perhaps transformative, no matter how apparently simple the miracle might appear.

At first I felt I was too busy to enter and that I would be wise to stay focused on what I believed was important.  Then World Pulse sent out a “Last Call for Submissions” this last week and suddenly I was pulled in.  My grandsons and family were supposed to come down on President’s Day but the boys had colds.  Unexpectedly I had a completely unstructured day in front of me to use however I chose.  I decided to enter the contest.

Winning isn’t the point for me, though if I do win, the money will be used to follow my intention.  I felt that writing about my miracle might inspire others faced with apparently insurmountable challenges.  And it gave me the opportunity  to  write that my intention is to launch a non-profit and a foundation this year. Posted in public on a major web site! And Facebok.  And my blog.

Here’s my entry:  My Story:  The Miracle of Prayer

Please feel free to post a comment under my submission and/or to this blog.  I can use ideas, thoughts, support and help from those of you who may be experienced in either of these ventures.

I wonder, do any of you have an intention you would like to make known to the world?  It’s the first step toward realizing a goal.  If so, please share!