Dear Rotarians and friends,
I hope you all had a chance to enjoy some time outside last week as the spring weather sets in. I am back to working on my front porch and enjoying the sounds of the birds, fresh air and warmth of the sun.
Although there was no STRC meeting, I had the chance to visit with several of our members at a Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) meeting on Wednesday night at Clemens Food Groups. MEDA creates business solutions to alleviate poverty in the Global South, which I understand even better now than I did when I was first introduced to the organization three years ago as a result of my work with CEPI and KAFO. We heard a story about successful growth of avocado trees in parts of Africa only to have about ¾ of what was grown be discarded due to lack of a sustainable supply chain. MEDA stepped in to fill in the gaps between the farmers and buyers to establish a system that works for everyone. Now, most of what is grown is sold and farmers are able to recoup their investments and use proceeds for things like education for their children, improving their living conditions or expansion of their farms.
I am gradually understanding systems-based approaches to development and recognizing how different components of a system interact and affect each other. It is impossible to predict everything that will happen when a change is implemented, but bringing together experts from many different disciplines can help. In the example of the avocado farmers, I would have thought that the largest hurdles would be buying the tress and getting them to grow. The trees are susceptible to root rot if they get too much water and scorching if they get too much sun. There are also many pests and fertilizer needs to consider. I would have thought that if a farmer overcame these obstacles and got these superfruits to grow, they would sell quickly on the local, regional and global markets, knowing how much they are in demand here due to their high nutritional value.
If I thought about the whole avocado system a little more, I would have remembered that the only way I can get them to last more than a day or two is to put them in the refrigerator. I often buy a bag and then leave one a day out on the counter to ripen for use in salads and sandwiches. Most farmers in Africa don’t have access to refrigerators or transportation though so when large quantities of avocados all ripen at the same time, they flood local markets and then rot if they are not eaten within a day or two due to the high temperatures and rapid ripening. Refrigeration is needed as well as transportation to a larger range of markets to optimize response to the global demand. MEDA representatives understood that and helped farmers purchase refrigerated equipment and identify reliable buyers so there is a steady stream of supply and demand.
I greatly appreciate MEDA’s approach to solving poverty in a long-term, sustainable way and was happy to be surrounded by Rotary friends as I learned more about it.
I also had a chance over the past week to join Kelli Scarlett, Charlie Amuso, Darlene Scott and Rick Kowey in review of applications for two, John Moyer and two, Al Engel Memorial Scholarships. Just seeing the names of our late Rotarians who contributed so much to our club and the community was a great reminder of the impact we can each have and I wondered what they would think of the students who had applied. I think they would be impressed and I think you would be too.
Scholarship applicants not only have excellent grades, many well above 4.0, have taken many advanced placement courses, and have led or participated in many school activities, but they have also made a commitment to service and contributed to their schools, families and the world in many ways. Most show a much greater awareness of themselves and the world than I know I had as a high school Senior and they have very clear ideas about what the needs of the community and the world are and how they will fill those needs in the future. It will no doubt be more challenging than they expect, but I believe they will make great progress as they build on their already impressive experiences.
I look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting on Thursday. CLICK HERE to read about the agenda.
In Rotary
Kate
President