Thanks to Theresa Kiene from Homemade harvey for authoring this blog post.
I didn’t intend to start a business. I just wanted to solve a problem – getting enough fresh fruits and vegetables in me and my family’s diet. And since our lives weren’t slowing down anytime soon we needed fresh organic fruit and vegetables on the go. That’s when I started experimenting in my own kitchen for portable food that is fresh. From that simple idea, and a lot of trial and error, Homemade harvey® was born.
That’s the American entrepreneurial spirit. As a business woman I see this same spirit alive and well in many of the women I meet. Unfortunately they’re not all able to nurture their ideas into businesses for a number of reasons, chief among them, funding.
That’s why when I first heard about The Whole Planet Foundation I was so excited. The microcredit and microloan program was founded to alleviate poverty worldwide and change the world one entrepreneur at a time. Women could create or expand a home-based business and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
Not only could Homemade harvey become a partner in the program, but our customers would be helping each time they bought our product. Each time we sell a pouch, a portion of the profits go to Whole Planet.
One woman in particular made an impact on me. Her name is Sanatu. Sanatu has 10 children. She makes and sells a prepared rice dish called Shinkafa da-wachi. The traditional dish is made from rice and black eyed peas, with bouillon, salt, pepper, oil and either dried fish or meat. Thanks to The Whole Planet Foundation Sanatu now earns enough money to support her children.
Although I will never know the hardships that Sanatu has known, I feel a connection to her feminine strength and entrepreneurial spirit. And I am so honored to be able to contribute, along with all of us at Homemade harvey to such a worthy program. Our impact on Sanatu and many other women like her is not just for one day but contributes to a lasting significance in their lives.
The fine people of Whole Foods have created this beautiful, self-sustaining program. As our sales increase, we will increase our contribution to the program. Which means that we all contribute; from you to me to a corporation like Whole Foods. It feels good to do good.