It starts with our moms

Hello Champion,

It’s been a labor of love to get to this point where ARK is the leading food security solution in the Philippines and wanted in other parts of the world.  It takes you, me, and our growing village and community.

Personally, I wouldn’t be able to keep doing it for the past 16 years if not for my moms who love, care for, and guide me.

My mom, Peregrine Vera, my very first idol, taught me to share. When I was young, she would tell me to give what I'm not using and share what I have in excess. I saw how she and my aunts supported each other and invested in each other's kids' schooling and dreams. That lesson felt natural, so sharing became a cornerstone of our food security program. ARK Feed Back is a vegetable exchange where families bring three kinds of vegetables from their backyards and take home their fair share of over 20 kinds contributed by each participating family. Abundance through sharing.

My mom-in-law, Pat Topitzer, taught me the power of "and" over "or," that it is not a zero-sum game. At ARK, our solutions must be available to all, and we ensure every stakeholder is invested and has a win.

From Julieta Mandawe, my yaya and second mom, I learned about compassion or unawa. ARK first solves from that point of view. I don’t believe that people are just “lazy” or ganyan na ang ugali. There is a reason for that and one must solve from that point.

These women and many more make the village that made our collective impact possible.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in our circle, your moms, your moms-in-law, and your mother figures!

Ayesha