The three pillars of m.a.m.a. earth are Art, Music and Nature. A big part of our mission has to do with food and food justice. The basic human right to have access to healthy food. Eugene Cooke, urban farmer, has helped with countless edible gardens around the country as well as Jamaica, Kenya and Tanzania. We’ve presented 70+ workshops in partnership with public, private and charter schools, community gardens, private homes, senior centers and more.
For this blog, we want to introduce you to Eugene’s wife, Jo’vonna Johnson. She heads up a project called MaituFoods. The philosophy behind it is teaching children the culture of food, from seed to table. Jo’vonna says, “At MaituFoods we teach our youth the power of self sustenance and nurturing through food and food education. Utilizing the tools of cooking and gardening we encourage children’s natural abilities to grow and learn in their environment by taking an active approach to their personal health.
Our grandparents and parents had the formula. Intrinsic in each culture, and instilled through habit is the knowledge of using food to heal and console. It was the hot soup or strong toddy when a cold was coming on. Aloe vera and pumpkin seeds to expel intestinal worms. Oatmeal and milk baths for rashes. It’s found in the precise science of Native American Earth medicine to facilitate outdoor living. ‘Let your medicine be your food and your food be your medicine’ was a phrase coined in Egyptian history and mysticism by master Teacher and physician Imhotep. In that spirit we reclaim the power to heal ourselves, we put the power of nurturer and healer back in our hands.”
As mothers, we are always thinking about food as we prepare meals for our families each and every day. We love Jo’vonna’s view of food and music, too. “Consider how many memories are tailored with a certain song and the emotions evoked. The feelings elicited by food. A smell that draws you back to childhood or a favorite space and time in life. Food and music both possess the power to heal, to comfort and to transform our realities. They create and sustain environments. Nourish and develop our nations. We live by and through food and music.”
To see more of Jo’vonna’s writings, check out her BLOG.
Inspired to take action? Check out our fundraiser for Kadeisha Hilliard, a mother of 2 who is using natural methods (like juicing, high dose vitamin C & more) to heal herself from Stage 3 Breast Cancer. In the last 6 weeks, we’ve raised over $6,000 to support Kadeisha as she responds to treatment and continues to work to build her immune and lymphatic systems. Show your love and give what you can!
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