Learning About Green Smoothies in East Africa

Amazingly awesome; Valya and Victoria Boutenko of the Raw Family have been in Kenya teaching locals ways to consume the organic greens they have been growing with the help of non-profit Organics 4 Orphans.

Vitamix even donated blenders for the cause. 

Maybe I will carry the torch when we move to Senegal.  This inspires me so much.

I've posted the full article below from their newsletter, because I wasn't able to link to it their site.

From Kenya

Dear Friends.

I am sending you this newsletter from Kenya Africa.

Valya and I are witnessing a great health revolution here. Thousands of African adults and children are learning to grow organic greens and to eat them daily. Several churches are serving green smoothies on Sundays because most people don't have electricity at home.

It all started several years ago, when a Canadian couple, Dale and Linda Bolton, learned that 30 million orphans were starving in Africa. Dale and Linda realized that it was impossible to feed all these children. That is why they co-founded a non profit organization called, "Organics 4 Orphans." (www.organics4orphans.org) Five years ago, they started training African people to grow vegetables organically. They trained several experts in organic biodynamic gardening who continue to constantly train others. In four years, they have created over 120 huge gardens one of which is pictured below.

Every one of these gardens received organic seeds, tools, and training from Organic4Orphans. When it was necessary, this organization helped to drill a well and to repair houses. Each garden is cared for by 6-12 women.

Each of these groups of women takes care of up to 100 orphans ages 2-10. Together they grow predominantly green vegetables.

Last year Dale contacted me asking for help. "How can we inspire the growers to eat their own greens?" he asked. Their organization had taught Africans to grow delicious greens, but they had a hard time teaching them to actually consume those crops. Valya and I decided to fly to Africa. I wrote a letter to the president of Vitamix Corporation and told him about this project. In response, Vitamix generously donated six blenders for this project. Three weeks ago, Valya and I arrived in Kenya and began teaching. Every day we visited numerous farms, schools, and churches.

We met with several African people who reversed many illnesses by simply adding lots of fresh greens to their meals. We asked these people to come and share their stories in front of large audiences. The six blenders became handy. Each time we brought enough smoothies for hundreds of people to taste.

In addition we washed greens and passed them out to our audience. I have never seen anyone munching greens with such positive enthusiasm. When Valya and I teach, our listeners are very attentive and ask lots of questions. Several students from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Congo, and other countries came to study with us.

We are greatly inspired by what we see in Kenya. We hope that this great African healing with greens will bring health to many other countries including North America.

Valya is videotaping our activities. Just wait until we return back home, and she will put together several short videos for you to watch on youtube. Greens are ending poverty and hunger in Africa, and Africa is inspiring the rest of the world to become healthy the natural way.

A Magical West Africa and South Africa Musical Collaboration

Last night I went to a great performance with one of my favorite African artists, Habib Koite.  The concert was a beautiful intra-African collaboration and melding of West African and South African talents.  Featuring the guitar stylings of both Habib and Afel Boucom from Mali and Oliver Mtukudzi of Zimbabwe, the show was a rare treat.  Tuku, Wassoulou and Tuareg sounds and rhythms were played by a musical group that included both the N'Goni (Malian guitar predecessor) and M'Bira (thumb piano).  Take a listen to parts of two songs above.

Leafy Greens in Nigeria

I've never heard of these greens before, but Affan and Ugu are some of the greens you might find served up in Nigeria, according to the site Afrigourmet.

They look like nice alternatives to all of the white rice and meat dishes that are prevalent in many African countries.

Wonder how an Ugu green smoothie would taste?

Read more about them here.

(via Timbuktu Chronicles)

To Squat or Sit........?

I remember the fear I had on my first trip Africa - wondering how was I going to relieve myself in places that didn't have modern toilets? But what a revelation I had when I finally mustered up my courage (after holding it for 3 days!) and assumed the position over that hole in the ground. I'm sure those of you who go camping a lot can relate to this as well.
In her Natural Health Blog, "Doctor of the Future" Carolyn Dean, MD talks about how most other cultures use the squatting position for evacuation and explains how it is a better posture than sitting to facilitate elimination of bodily waste.
The website Toilet Related Ailments goes in depth on the many diseases and health problems that many doctors think are attributed to the modern toilet, the history of sitting down to eliminate and how many other countries where squatting is the norm there are much lower incidences of bowel diseases.
For those of us living in a non-squatting country, there are a few options. You can either "surf the seat" (you get the idea), or purchase a nifty table that you can climb on that fits above your toilet. There's a company called "Nature's Platform", that sells such a table.
But if you're not committed to that level of bathroom tactics transformation, Dr. Dean recommends placing a high foot stool in front of you that will give you at least some angle of assistance when you put your feet up on it. Try it some time and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Wisdom From the Hadza of Tanzania

In the July/August issue of Utne magazine on the last page there's a wonderful account of Eric Utne's recent visit to Tanzania where he spent time with the nomadic Hadza or Hadzabe people of the northeast region. By highlighting three stories that were told to him by Hadza men and women, Eric suggests how beautifully simple and relevant the Hadza's way of thinking is;

"Withhold judgement. Listen to your elders. Don't fear death. This is the sort of commonsense thinking we need now." - Eric Utne

Read the full piece here

Beautiful and Unusual Portraits of People from Ethiopia's Omo Valley

Check out these stunning photographs by acclaimed German photographer, Han Silvester, found on the Saharan Vibe blog here.

Is it Better to Sleep on the Hard Ground?

The other day I listened to the interview with Victoria Boutenko on the first night of the Raw Mom Summitt and she spoke about her whole family sleeping on either the floor or another hard surface. She explained for the first couple of nights or so your body would be detoxifying and you would probably feel discomfort, but after about seven nights, you would feel aches and pains sleeping on your soft bed! I talked to my partner, Laye about it and he said that back in Senegal growing up they used to sleep on the ground as well and often children would just fall asleep wherever they were on any surface. It reminds me of watching my own son just fall asleep so deeply after playing with trains for hours on the living room floor and simply letting a train drop from his hand and rolling over on his side.
In one of Victoria's first books "12 Steps to Raw" she writes "our bodies need to stretch out at night. All the bones and joints can only stretch out when we lie on a hard surface...the spine is improperly positioned while driving, in front of the computer, watching tv, such that some joints don’t get adequate spinal fluid and blood enriching oxygen."

This great article on zafu.net (the website of a company that sells yoga props and meditation pillows) gives a more in depth exploration of "Sleep Ergonomics" and the habit of traditional peoples to sleep on hard surfaces. You can find it here

Bamboo Bikes in Africa

I came across this awesome project after I saw a really cool bamboo bicycle parked on the street in my neighborhood and immediately had to do a Google search to find one. Couldn't find any that you could purchase, but I found out about this organization that is helping to build bamboo bikes in rural Africa.

Started by scientists and engineers at Columbia University and initially funded by the Earth Institute there, the projects main objectives are to "introduce greatly improved bicycle design to improve transportation and health care delivery," and to "ensure that semi-literate people in Africa, with limited access to electricity (no power tools), can build bicycles from locally available materials and components." - bamboobike.org

On their website they explain that most people in poor rural Africa can't afford cars or even mo-peds for that matter and the bicycles that they predominantly have there are not only of a design meant for recreation and not critical transportation, and they are mostly shipped completely assembled from Asia. Introducing the design and construction of bikes with the main components made from locally grown bamboo could create a sustainable business model through out Africa. The organization views these bikes as a "necessary and viable form of transportation that will contribute to alleviation of economic and health issues." - bamboobike.org

After reading about the project, I think they are right and I hope they are successful.

Read more about the Bamboo Bike Project here.

More Incredible Resourcefulness from Africa

Boy Selling Ice Cream in Ghana

Had to share this article I read in the international issue of Utne Magazine.

This 14 year old from Malawi basically read a U.S. text book and taught himself how to build a windmill using whatever he could find and generated enough power for his family's house that they could stop using "the toxic paraffin candles they previously used". The windmill eventually generated enough power for other electrical appliances too. Imagine if we all had the self-reliance and creativity this boy had.

Read the full article here.

Beautiful Face of an Afar Woman

This woman is from the nomadic tribe know as Afar that is found mainly in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea. I love the contrast of the scarification markings with the sweetness of her eyes and smile.

Family activities and rhythms have put me on a brief hiatus from posting. More posts to soon follow. Peace.

Simple Invention Can Make a Major Change Throughout Africa

Imagine if instead of going to the sink and turning the faucet to get water you had to walk 5 miles to a well and fill a plastic oil drum with water, put it on top of your head and then walk back home another 5 miles! Many people all over Africa and in other underdeveloped parts of the world have to do this every day, or even two times a day to get clean water for drinking and cooking. This job is mostly relegated to the women and sometimes the kids of the household. Think of all of the other things a woman can do for her family if she's not spending all of that time to fetch water. And think of what carrying those heavy drums of water on your head can do to your spine and body over time.

Thanks to one of my favorite review sights, Metaefficent, I found out about this new organization called Hippo Water Roller that has come up with an ingeniously simple invention that make a major impact for a lot of people.

With this simple device pictured above transporting water doesn't have to tax your body and take all day. The drums are easily rolled to their destination by pushing the metal handle.

The website states "The daily burden of water collection undermines productivity, limits educational opportunities and traps households in poverty".

One filled HippoRoller can meet the basic water needs of a family of 5 for a whole day.

For $100 you can donate one HippoRoller to a family.

Their website is www.hipporoller.org

Downward Doggin' to the Drums

After months (or maybe it's been years - I'm embarrassed to say) I finally took a yoga class at my sister's yoga studio, the Mystic Yoga Shala. It was a Power Vinyasa class in a 90 degree heated room and definitely not for someone as inexperienced as myself, but I was lured by the idea that they would have live drumming during the class. There were two guys playing djun-djuns, djembes, asikos and other various cool sounding percussion during the entire session! Pretty cool. One thing my sister commented on after the class was over, was how listening to the drums seemed to make the holding of the postures take less effort, or possibly maybe she meant that it was easier to focus and therefore hold and transition between the postures (??) Well, whatever it was, it certainly worked for me, because I don't think I knew how much effort I was putting in to the class while I was taking it. Two days later I can't believe how much of a huge tenderized piece of meat I feel like!

This particular class was partially benefiting and bringing awareness to a very cool organization called Africa Yoga Project

Their mission is "to empower youth, build a global community
and increase well-being in East Africa", particularly in Kenya where they have "introduced hundreds of students in Kenya to the practice of yoga, as well provided educational scholarships, job training food stipends, temporary housing and health services".

I thought there answer to "Why Yoga?" was particularly awesome too:
"Yoga reveals our authentic selves, perfect and flawed, uncovers our limitless potential to embrace change and to take action. The practice of yoga does not only work for upper class westerners, but for Kenyans too. Yoga transforms limitations into power.
Yoga revolutionizes our body, our emotions, our relationships and our ability to serve the greater good"

Nuf said.