United States-based Nigerian Public Health Specialist/Coordinator of the food pantry at Maryland Food Bank RCCG Mercy Court, Bukola Daramola, is changing lives in the US, one at a time. In this Black History Month, Daramola is commended for not only bringing relief and dignity to neighbors, but for helping to create a more equitable food system statewide through her work with culturally inclusive crops. In this chat, she speaks on her work and early experience at home in Nigeria, which set her up to impact her neighbours positively; EVELYN OSAGIE writes.
AS A Nigerian woman, I learnt and grew up to be resilient, to fight for what you believe and passionate about, never to dwell on the past, but keep moving.
Living in the United States is another edition of my story, but I will summarise it by saying, location does not determine your outcome, but your dream and passion does.
I came to the USA to start life all over again, studying, writing professional exams, applying for permanent legal stay and jobs. Did I achieve these, yes. That is why I always write” Mercy Found me and Grace brought me this far”.
Growing up that impacted the woman I am
In my home country of Nigeria, I experienced compassion everywhere. People shared food, resources, whatever other people needed—if you had it, you gave it—that’s the environment I grew up in. and that is inspired by my upbringing back home in Nigeria. Growing up, my home life was pretty normal, and my parents were comfortable enough that they could provide for others if need be.
My Passions
I am passionate about God; my slogan is “Product of Mercy and Grace”. I cannot express my passion outside Jesus, walking with Him has exposed my life to the public. I am also passionate about doing anything that will end pain and stop suffering, I hate poverty, hunger and oppression. I love to study and expand my knowledge, “A mind that knows, is a mind that’s free” that is a part of my Alma matter (University of Ibadan) anthem that has stocked with me. Above being passionate about knowledge, I am ardent about what I do with my knowledge. One of my unpublished quotes states that “Education is not the major determinant of your success, what you do with it matter most” Which you can agree with me (smiles).
Inspiration behind my working at food pantry
Why do I work at the food pantry at Mercy Court? It’s something I love to do. Anything that can relieve pain and make people happy, I don’t need motivation to do it, I passionately do it. Sure, there are some challenges, but I know the benefits outweigh the challenges, so I do it, and I do it, and I do it. The smile that lights up someone’s face when they get fresh vegetables shows me they’re happy and that makes me smile.
Talking about the RCCG Mercy Court, North Baltimore, food pantry, it started as a leadership role, been selected as the HOD community outreach, which I do with all sense of dedication to God and to my community. I saw a need for expansion and meeting the need of the community on weekly bases that birth the pantry that is seeing the GOVANS community in Baltimore and ending hunger. Every day, I think of how to put a smile on someone’s face, impact lives, and reduce suffering. Partnering with Maryland Food Bank is an impetus that makes me appreciate every little thing I do at Mercy Court. I look forward to do more.
My journey at the pantry
When I started at the pantry, I did a lot of community outreach. I wanted to know what people were getting, what were their opinions about the food, what was their level of satisfaction with what they’re getting at the pantry, and what they might want to get more of.
From an early age, I saw the power in helping others. And it wasn’t long before my “superpower” was recognised by my teachers. While attending boarding school as a teenager, she was given a post of Food Prefect, which at first confused me.
I remember thinking, ‘Food Prefect, what does that even mean?’ and then quickly finding out that it meant that I, a 17-year-old, was suddenly in charge of making sure the food served to 1,000 girls in the dining hall was up to the school’s standard!
At the time, I was responsible for overseeing everything from planning, tasting, and presenting food to her classmates three times a day to coordinating each meal within a 30-to-45-minute window, learning lessons and building the resiliency that would foreshadow my work at Mercy Court. But the whole experience then taught me how to build resilience.
My voyage at building resiliency
I remember having to turn my back one day, because some negative feedback from my classmates made me cry. They said to me ‘how could you have passed this food? This food doesn’t taste right, and it’s not what we wanted!
But I knew that people were counting on me—the teachers who gave me the role, and the classmates I was trying to serve. In my mind, I was like ‘you have the same classwork and assignments that I do, and I’m coming to the dining hall early to try and help, why would you say those things?
I knew I had to do the job the next day, and the day after that, so I made a decision. Since I’m still coming back here tomorrow, and people may say things, but I am not going to cry, I am going to do what’s right.
I’m still in touch with some of my high school teachers. They saw something in me, and knew I could do it. They were right, and I think this is part of what gave me the confidence to go into the nursing profession.
Being a nurse in the US
It is fascinating and challenging. Being able to practice nursing outside the country I trained from is hard work, I am grateful for the thorough teaching and experience of practicing nursing more than a decade from Nigeria.
The foundation makes it easier Do I enjoy working as an RN in the USA, I will say yes, because it pays my bills. Could I have done anything else, I will also say yes because the live of a nurse anywhere in the world is a sacrificial one, Nurses can never be paid for their worth, we are always doing more to save lives and relieve pain.
My though on Beauty
Beauty, they say is in the eye of beholder, for me it is beyond. It is my carriage, character and charisma. The way I carries myself physically, including my posture, movement, and overall presence. My moral and ethical qualities: I deal with people with integrity, honesty, and principles. Beyond these, beauty is my ability to reflect love, which is my charisma, the ability to attract or influence others positively.
My fashion style
I am classic, minimalist and edgy. My appearance determines the way I will be addressed, so I appear to fit the occasion. I have never disappointed my audience with my fashion style. Even in uniforms and scrubs, I maintain the same fashion style.
Weathering through challenges, fostering fairness
My pantry at the RCCG Mercy, serves a considerably large immigrant population. In their magnanimity, Maryland food bank, supplies foods for distribution to the people generally in the state including my location. Unfortunately, most foods supplied were traditional American foods, mostly canned which the immigrant community I serve, predominantly African population does not have preference for.
Upon interaction with my community, I discovered that the huge amount invested into serving them is not actually meeting the peoples need. I organised focus group discussion with stakeholders in the community and the Maryland Food Bank directors, I took up the advocacy, establishing the fact that the nutritional needs of the people are not being met, and that the cultural sensitivity needs to be considered in making provision for the populate. I scheduled various meetings with the Maryland food bank authority and tabled the request of African, Spanish, and Asian culturally sensitive food in the food bank program.
In their magnanimity, the authority aptly took up the challenge; they got contractors that can supply what our community needs. As a result of this, Cultural Inclusive Crops was introduced; we now have regular supply of African, Spanish and Asian foods. Fresh, organic foods directly from farms are now regularly available to community to pick up at Mercy Court during the summer period. Crops like jute leave (Ewedu), Callaloo (Efo), Okra (Ila), Pepper (Ata rodo), Water leave (Gure), Garden eggs (ikan), scent leave.
To my surprise, many cultures troops out regularly to be served the African foods to their satisfaction. The aptly named Mercy Court has the ability to engage in even deeper relationships, connecting them with the resources that can help eliminate hunger’s root causes. Once we’ve been able to give a person food, and they feel safe, then we can ask the questions that help us understand what they really need help with—mental health issues, childcare, or even showing them that the Maryland Food Bank has job resources that can change things.
Balancing family and work
This is the peak of it; honestly, I am also asking the same question (laughs). I just take one step at a time, meeting deadlines and setting priories. Creating time for my family is my priority. Any request I want to say yes to, I will filter how my family will cope with it. This includes if I want to apply for a job. Also, I give my work the best I can. As a student, I realised how challenging it can be to hustle through everything, but I tell you. I make sure to create time for all aspect of my live that no one can do for me, and for the one that others can help, I delegate responsibilities and seek for help.
Published in The Nation Online: https://thenationonlineng.net/how-u-s-based-nigerian-nurse-is-changing-lives-through-food-pantry/
