Hi!

I've been in hiding for a bit;) So let me reintroduce myself : I'm Maria—an american-German photographer, author of “Eating with AFrica”, and a nutritionist. With a newfound purpose to transform lives in Africa through interconnecting education on how to heal both the body and the soil.

You know those moments in life that change everything?

I vividly recall one of these moments in Cape Town. Despite the facade of a perfect life at 36, I felt lost, yearning for purpose. Amongst graffiti-covered walls, a message struck me:

"Life doesn't come with a remote, get up and change it yourself."

It hit home – no one else could infuse meaning into my life; I had to take that leap alone.

Cut to the chase: awakenings like these, fueled me to write the award-winning German cookbook "Eating with Africa" and embark on a solo journey through 10 African countries also in search of my calling. Today, I'm writing you, because you're one of the individuals who made my book possible.

In the last few years, I've juggled countless ideas to address the challenges I encountered in Africa. Amidst this chaos, one idea persisted: founding an academy in Africa centered on nutrition and agriculture to empower communities to cultivate nutritious food that nourishes both body and soil.

The journey to implement this idea was not without its hurdles. I started from scratch, just like back then when I began with my knowledge about Africa. I even admit to having to Google the meaning of photosynthesis (🤪), and soil health was a foreign concept. I delved into conventional agricultural studies only to realize I was heading in the wrong direction. Instead, I focused on grasping the principles of regenerative agriculture, deepening my understanding of nutrition, and becoming a certified holistic nutritionist, all while devouring podcasts and books on the latest nutritional breakthroughs.

Then, during a December 2022 assignment for the German GEO Magazine in Uganda, I interviewed Theo Vos, the founder of the Kara-Tunga Foundation. When he shared his vision for empowering communities through agroforestry, I knew I had found the place to start laying the foundation for a BODYandSOIL Academy.

Fast forward to today, exactly four years after the publishing of my book in March 2020. I write to you from the veranda of my simple apartment in Moroto, Uganda. Here, in Karamoja where over 60% of the population lives in poverty, the battle against issues like climate change and globalization unfolds right outside my door. Many survive on little more than one unbalanced meal a day, including children! Small-scale farmers and pastoralists resort to selling charcoal and firewood, depleting trees and forsaking the ancestral wisdom for short-term survival.

With BODY&SOIL, my vision is clear: to create a center rooted in indigenous knowledge and modern nutritional science. It's not just about quick fixes; it's about promoting holistic solutions through research, community engagement, education in nutrition and regenerative agriculture.

Thanks to the support of two sponsors, I've kickstarted the journey by purchasing an oil press to produce local healthy oils that can prevent diseases caused by chronic inflammation in the body (much needed!). And just yesterday, I conducted my first nutrition course for a small group of people 🥳 – it was incredibly encouraging!

But I've also delved into schools and deep into communities to find answers on how some of the challenges can be addressed through indigenous knowledge.

A women shifting Maize, one of the main staples in Africa today, but orinating from South America.

I envision BODYandSOIL as a self-sufficient business that one day provides widespread education throughout Africa, supporting livelihoods by producing high-quality indigenous nutritious produce.

About 85% of Africa's food is imported. Imagine the impact that makes on livelihoods and soil health if nutrious indigenous foods could reach the markets!

For now, I'm starting small but thinking very big! Yes, it might all sound a bit crazy, but so did solo traveling and writing a cookbook about Africa. And I'm forever grateful for taking that step.It's revealed my purpose, one that I'm only beginning to uncover today – to effect change, one day at a time.

Africa is the fastest-growing continent today. What happens here will soon influence the rest of the world!

So, if you're driven by the same passion and want to contribute – whether it's through knowledge, ideas, or resources – let me know; let's discuss how we can combine our superpowers to make the greatest impact and invest in healthy growth and harmony with nature. And if not, stay tuned for the next chapter of this nourishing adventure!

Thank you! Maria

Eating with Africa - Catching up

Knowledge Unpeeled: BANANA FLOUR