HarvestPlus Solutions had the pleasure of hosting a reception with chef Sanjeev Kapoor on October 25th in Palo Alto, CA to introduce our work in the Bay Area. It was an elegant gathering — with 42 friends, advocates, businesspeople, funders, and diverse stakeholders joining to connect with our team while enjoying tasty Indian and African food. The event — under the theme “Nourish to Flourish: A Lifeline for Women and Children” — was co-hosted with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who flew in from India, and shared a compelling endorsement of HarvestPlus Solutions’ mission of ensuring access to affordable and healthy diets for all. For three hours, we were able to spark conversations with new acquaintances, share our work and impact in remarks from CEO Arun Baral, COO Ravinder Grover, Chef Sanjeev, and Global Resource Mobilization Lead Maggie Biruri, present video stories, and explore opportunities for future engagement in the Bay Area. As we celebrated World Food Day, we underscored the role of women in growing harvests, and the right of women and children to optimal health.
We were happy to make new connections with all of you, including with networks such as the India Community Center, and Indians for Collective Action. Also in attendance was Namrita Yuhanna of the Off the Cuff program at 92.3 FM Bolly Radio, who interviewed chef Sanjeev. Also present was Michael Gebrelassie, the Co-Director of Priority Africa Network, an umbrella organization of African organizations in the Bay Area. We were pleased that Lawrence Kent of the Gates Foundation could join us and share remarks on his appreciation of our work. He continues to be a champion and thought leader for us. Colleagues and new friends all made the evening special.
HarvestPlus Solutions CEO Arun Baral welcomed guests and shared what is at stake: more than three billion people cannot afford a healthy diet and do not get enough essential vitamins and minerals to lead a healthy life and realize their full potential.
The event was an opportunity to describe the extent of nutrient deficiency in many parts of the world — such as Vitamin A, iron, and zinc — and its impact on learning, physical growth, and maternal health — which is completely preventable.
Through video, we showed HPS initiatives with governments, farmer networks, food processors, and entrepreneurs to bring naturally nutritious crops to the most vulnerable households.
Baral extended an invitation for guests to join HarvestPlus Solutions in scaling the transformative innovations that tackle the global challenge of malnutrition.
“Let’s put better food on the table. Let’s put more girls in classrooms. Let’s put more women in charge of their harvest and their hope” said Arun Baral, HPS CEO
Sanjeev Kapoor, a HarvestPlus Solutions Champion, gave a compelling endorsement of HPS’s mission to end hidden hunger and facilitate access to healthy diets. He made a case for the importance of nutrition literacy — bridging the gap in knowledge on nutrient deficiency in order to change eating habits toward more nutritious options. The HPS School Meals Program is one of the HPS strategies to make sure children eat a healthy diet and can learn properly. To date, we’ve formed multiple school partnerships that enabled one million children in India, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi to eat a healthy meal.
Thank you, Chef Sanjeev, for your powerful words of endorsement of HarvestPlus Solutions as a gamechanger in the fight against malnutrition and poor health outcomes.
Maggie Biruri, Global Resource Mobilization Lead for HarvestPlus, shared how lack of healthy food was central to her boarding school experience growing up in Kenya, and her lived experience with anemia. Around the world, we know that over 69 percent of child-bearing women are anemic, a major contributor to pregnancy complications. The work of HarvestPlus Solutions is therefore about a right to access health.
We’re excited to continue these conversations and brainstorm potential partnerships with friends and innovators who care about women’s and child health, healthy diets, livelihoods, and building a sustainable and resilient food system.
We are exploring ways to engage with supporters in the Bay Area and build a community of partners through future events. Please look for event communications as well as program updates and stories of change from around the world. We can tackle hidden hunger, together.
As we approach Giving Tuesday and the holiday season, consider making a gift of health to communities in Africa and Asia. Thank you for your generosity!
