"Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit." ~ Khalil Gibran
I was introduced to Karen Christiaens by Amy Anthony, our former aromatherapy instructor. Amy’s talents reach far beyond the world of olfaction. She is a sensitive who brings people together with her tenderness and
deep spiritual discernment. It’s no wonder that she has nurtured a space for organic bonding.
Karen and I first met for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien in May of 2023 and we found ourselves quite willing to pursue a friendship that has blossomed into a sisterhood over a year later.
It was at our recent lunch date at abcV Restaurant in Manhattan that Karen shared a layer of herself that caused my eyes to tear. The subject arose as a result of my need to explore the core of our connection. I asked for the views of Berlin citizens concerning the political strife presently being felt in the United States. Her response did not surprise me. It seems that our cognitive well-being is in question. (OMG)
The conversation continued. I told her that I was brought up to love humankind, even in the face of social and political injustices.
My mother, a sharecropper’s daughter, described frightful working conditions that had her working under an unforgiving Georgia sun as she picked cotton at the age of 10. Orphaned at the age of 16, Mattie Bell Jones migrated to New York to live with my Aunt Blanche and her husband, Joe. Sadly, both of my grandparents had succumbed to the weight of their oppressed lives.
Historically speaking, the Jim Crow era was alive and well when I was born in 1949. It is recorded that it lasted through the mid-1960s. But, with a closer look, it seems that this outrageous socio-political system of racial segregation and discrimination enforced through laws, social norms, and other measures, identified by its destructive jargon, has crawled into the 21st century. It can be seen lurking behind a dangerously thin veil of a seemingly polite society, costumed in business couture and lipstick. Upon closer examination, a funky cocktail of greed, ignorance, and entitlement permeates the air, eating holes in the unalienable rights (rights that are allegedly "fundamental, cannot be taken away, and are impossible to transfer), as stated in the Declaration of Independence.
I initiated a transparent conversation about race relations, broaching a topic that had taken center stage on the internet. I was sure my friend had seen the overflow of reels and memes about blue bracelets and such, creating a chasm that ripped a jagged tear in our already fragile sistership. I was unwilling to offer a seat to the elephant in the room, so my only other option was to confront it head on.
I have learned that the game of life does not do well in the shadows. Reminiscent of the lyrics sung by The Fifth Dimension, “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…Let the sun shine in!”
In my view, women of all shades, colors, nationalities, backgrounds, and generations had better close ranks. I can ill afford to lose my cherished friends. I worked too hard to achieve my own personal rainbow coalition. I love people of color and I love humanity. The whole of humanity. No judgment.
After I spoke my truth, Karen thanked me, and proceeded to lay bare her soul--as she had from the first time we met. I have always admired the way she forges through life so purposefully envisioning and manifesting her brand of love. However, this was different. This time, she revealed a layer of her life that had the power to permanently intertwine the silver cord of our hearts.
Her revelation was so uniquely sweet that I asked her to share it with you, in her own words.
It is my privilege to request that you read on:
“I [Karen Christeans] started the JSFoundation in November 2015, at the request of my dear friend John Schrooten, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. John and I used to travel around the world and we realized that the place you are born defines your opportunities in life.
We wanted to give back to the world, but John got sick.
So, I created the JSFoundation, which brought me to Tanzania in January 2016. I met John Lucian Mahu, who was at that time, the ward counselor of Endamarariek Ward, in the Karatu District of Tanzania. John believed in my plans and vision, and opened his network for our project, which focuses on empowering local communities using healthy nutrition and sustainable agriculture. John helped me to get access to a building, known as the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), where we teach and process food products and cosmetics.
Next to the ARC, there is a traditional hut. A lot of Tanzanians still live in huts. Over time, I became aware of a nearby family with young children. One of them is a girl with an amazing smile.
Her name is Eliza. She was intrigued by what we were doing, and over time, wanted to learn about moringa and the other plants we are cultivating.
Zakaria, the caretaker of our demo fields, taught her a lot and looked after her when her parents were not home.
After a few years of visiting Tanzania and running the project, my emotions were stirred when I saw Eliza. Swahili is the national language in Tanzania, and our language barrier started to frustrate me. We needed to communicate.
After meeting Eliza's parents, and checking all the options, we decided to send Eliza to an English boarding school with a higher educational level. She started there in July, which is the middle of the school year in Tanzania. I visited her in October of 2024 and we were able to have a conversation in English.
The teacher who is looking after her, says she is willing to learn, but “still has a ways to go.”
Eliza told me that she uses her free time to go to the school library to read English books. She is happy there and has made some friends. English and Science are her favorite subjects. It is beautiful to see her thriving. She has grown and has even gained some weight.
There is a vast difference between the life of a child living in a hut in Africa compared to someone who is born in Belgium to parents who could afford to send their child to a university.
I am grateful for this special encounter and the privilege to plant the seed of change in the life of this beautiful, intelligent girl.”
The Sweet Spot
Karen has two sons and has always wanted a daughter. The Universe is kind.
"Girls are the future mothers of our society, and it is important that we focus on their well-being." ~Miriam Makeba
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