KAREN EARNSHAW
“When we did the cooking with the community, the men were more engaged than the women.”
To clarify, in case you were slightly stunned by this statement, the media release from the Wellness Center continued: “Usually, we would think that the men would sit and wait for the women to cook, but it was the other way around.”
Backing up, in May the Journal reported that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had donated funds to the Canvasback Wellness Center for the installation of 20 “aeroponic gardens” on Wotje Atoll.
Co-Director Lauren Wiegel has now updated this: “We are pleased to report the towers were not only established, but training completed, towers planted, and they are harvest ready.”
In part to share the joy, a team flew in to demonstrate how to cook the harvest to students and the community, while also providing knowledge about the importance of adding nutrition to diets.
The center’s Lifestyle Coach Libon Jorkan reported that the students loved harvesting the fresh vegetables from the towers and “even though the kids hadn’t eaten Chinese cabbage and bok-choy before, they enjoyed it.”
But it was at the community cooking event that the men began to star. “When we asked for volunteers, it was the men that stood up,” she said.
A delicious soup was cooked for the community event: “The interesting part was, they kept coming back for more as one cup wasn’t enough,” Libon said.
Key to the visit, which was also sponsored by LDS Church, was that the students learned how to cook healthy meals. “Many of the students came up with great ideas on how they can cook what they have around them.”
On the last day of the five-day visit, a group of men were trained how to cook a healthy meal. “They made noodle soup for a funeral that was arriving on island. Neilan Albert (Wellness Chef) and I got to taste their soup, and boy they did a great job.”
The success of the Wellness Center gardening program is not only being felt and enjoyed in Wotje.
Lauren told the Journal that they have also been promoting “exercise and nutrition to Kinder-8th grade children on Majuro, Ebeye, and Jaluit.”
This “Healthy Futures” project is being supported in a three-year grant by the World Diabetes Foundation, with the goal of demonstrating whether nutrition and exercise are impacting the next generation.
From the stories and photographs from the Wotje program, things are looking good.