Inspiring Women January 2022

January 2022, Volume 6 Issue 1

profiles
7
13
18
25
CONTENTS
Gender Justice
is Good for
Climate Change
Stacey Kimmig on
her work with the
UN.
Grassroots Thinking Sprouts
Green Recycling in Moscow
Maria (Masha) Megrelis works hard to
reuse and recycle as much as she can
and encourage others to do the same.
Lessons from “Le Terroir”: Caring for
Vineyards, Saving the Earth
Mary Bruton Sandifer makes wine and
writes stories while caring for the
environment.
Art As a Catalyst
for Environmental
Change
Nadine Anderson
raises awareness of
the environment
through art.
31
35
45
49
Environmental
Lessons from
the Pandemic
Ayuska Motha
looks at what she
has learned from
the global
pandemic.
Getting “Schooled” About
Recycling in Russia
Maria (Masha) Sumina works hard to
recycle and get others to do the same
in Moscow.
“Containing” the
Waste Problem
Alexandra Vo on
why it’s important
to refuse all plastic.
Persistence Builds a Composting
Business in Morocco
Rajea Benkirane Alami believes
ecologically friendly compost is the way
to go.
56
Changing Lives One Person At A
Time Ulrike Näumann does what she
can for the refugees she meets.
2

features
11
The
Environment
Needs You!
Amanda
Drollinger on the
importance of
SDG #13.
39 ”I Am Who I Am Today Because of
the Choices I Made Yesterday”
Suzan Zhuta, member of AWC
Hamburg, discusses the importance of
clean energy.
16
Catching the Rain for a Better
Future
Carol Strametz, Carole Harbers and
Ulrike Henn tells us about this project
based in India.
41
A Club Inspires : AWC Denmark
22 24 Hours in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands: the Venice of the North
Sharon Smillie invites us to her favorite
places in this beautiful city.
51
Inspiring Reads: Exiled South
FAUSA member Harriet Cannon tells
us about her book and the inspiration
for it.
29
Recognition of the Environment
as a Fundamental Human Right
Deirdre Pirro, an
international
lawyer, tells us
about her work for
the environment.
in every issue
4
Advertisers Index
54
Inspiring You
5
A Note from the Editor
Liz MacNiven
55
More About This Issue
6
Let’s Chuck the Pearls More about
what you can find in this issue from
Elsie Bose.
56
57
Coming May 2022
That’s Inspired!
3

advertisers index
We appreciate your support of our advertisers!
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their dedicated teams take care of your wealth, giving you time to concentrate on the things that matter
to you. London & Capital has been supporting FAWCO since 2016.
Janet Darrow Real Estate p.34 Around the corner or a world away, contact Janet Darrow, FAUSA
member, to find the best properties. FAWCO referrals to Janet help the Target Program!
The Pajama Company p.38 The Pajama Company, founded by Ellie Badanes,
member of FAUSA and AW Surrey, sells pajamas that are cozy, cheerful and
online!
London Realty Intl. p.44 London Realty Intl. is owned by AWC London member
Lonnée Hamilton, a worldwide property consultant. Her firm works with the
best agents across the globe to fulfill your property needs.
The Short List p.53 The Short List assists students with the college admissions
and application process. Ask your club to schedule a webinar to acquaint
members on how to get started.
Throughout the years FAWCO has relied on advertisers and sponsors to augment its
income. This revenue has allowed FAWCO to improve services and the flexibility to try the latest
innovations to enhance the FAWCO experience. FAWCO’s advertising
partners believe in our mission and support our goals. Some directly
support our activities and projects.
We encourage club leadership throughout the FAWCO network to share
our publications with their membership. Please support them! Our
advertising partners have valuable products and services and we want
your members to take advantage of what they offer. For more information on these advertisers
or if you have any questions about FAWCO’s advertising program, please contact Elsie
Bose: advertising@fawco.org.
Why not advertise in Inspiring Women? FAWCO club members - do you want to take your
business worldwide? Contact Elsie Bose at advertising@fawco.org to get started. We offer great
rates and comprehensive packages for almost any budget.
4

“W
hat you do
makes a
difference, and
you have to
decide what kind
of difference you want to make.”
A Note from
the Editor
Dr. Jane Goodall, (British Primatologist)
The other day I was listening to a podcast of the
BBC Radio 4 programme, Woman’s Hour. (If you
don’t know it, I can highly recommend it; available
daily.) Anyway, they were interviewing three
young, Generation Z women about life and the
future. I was very struck by one woman who said
she thought it was only the younger generations
who really understood and cared about the
environment and specifically climate change. She
felt the older generations were not willing to
invest the money required to sort out these
difficult issues because (and I paraphrase) “they
wouldn’t be around to see the results.”
This issue of Inspiring Women Magazine flies
totally in the face of that. We have profiles and
features from women across the FAWCO world
who really are doing something, not just leaving it
to the younger generations. Whether they are
involved at the highest level internationally or
doing what they can from the privacy of their own
homes, these women are putting the environment
at the top of their agendas.
member of AWC
London, has taken on
the newly created post
of Profiles Coordinator.
So you will see in all our
notes about future
profile nominations
that you should now
send these to Haley. If
you feel like writing us a feature article those go to
Michele Hendrikse Du Bois as before but Haley is
coordinating all the profiles. The address for each
of them is on p.57.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading the profiles and
features in this issue. Please do let us know what
you think by completing our survey (p.56) or
sending me your thoughts at
inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org. I’m off to find
another excuse to go and visit Tristan!
Liz x
I admit I haven’t always been able to find the
energy to do as much for the environment as I
would like. Since October 21, 2021, however, I
have a very special reason to care about the
future of this planet. His name is Tristan and I
have to tell you a serious new love affair has
begun for me!
My daughter, Rachel, sets a great example with
her purchasing decisions for Tristan (“pre-loved”
wherever possible, natural fibres, as little plastic
as she can etc.) and I will do my grandmotherly
best to follow suit. I have already learned (having
been nudged by Rachel) to have a healthy
appreciation of Facebook Marketplace as a source
of pre-loved baby equipment and toys. I want to
do my bit to ensure I leave the planet in as good a
state as I can for Tristan.
These are things that for me, feel easy to do and
my motivation is higher than ever. As Dr. Jane
Goodall suggested, I have decided that this is the
difference I want to make. Perhaps a story in this
issue will help you decide your difference.
There is another new member of the Inspiring
Women team (we can’t really count Tristan can
we? Ha ha!!). We are delighted that Haley Green,
5

Let’s Chuck the
Pearls
Inspiring Women Magazine founder Elsie Bose
introduces our environmental theme.
There is a great deal of pearl clutching going on
about the state of the world today. The term
“pearl clutching” (to me) refers to people who talk
about what is wrong but who are slow to take
action towards solutions. It’s time to limit the
lamenting and debating and start taking steps to
limit the damage we are doing to the planet and
each other.
Of all the existential questions challenging the
world today, the fate of our planet is “The
One.” We must take care of it. If not, there’s not
much point to anything else!
FAWCO has been taking action to improve the
environment since at least 1957 when it sent
relief funds to victims of the Thessaly earthquake
in Greece. FAWCO focused on the environment
making it the theme for its conference in Vienna
in 1991. I put on a pair of rubber boots and
participated in a FAWCO tree plant-a-thon with
other club members in Brussels. The first Target
program was devoted to access to clean water
and FAWCO member clubs raised funds beyond
its wildest expectations for the first Target
Project, ”Tabitha-Wells for Clean Water,
Cambodia.” This year FAWCO is set to announce
the environment will once again be the focus for
the next Target Program.
Never have there been more Inspired Women!
This issue introduces you to the women in FAWCO
clubs who have been supporting the effort to keep
the earth alive. Women who have all taken on the
“care and feeding” of our Earth. Our goal in this
issue is to not only inform you, but to inspire you
(we like to believe we do what we say on the
cover!) to act.
Because here’s the thing, you can clutch those
pearls all you want. We can talk about poverty,
war, inequities in health care, hunger, or economic
imbalance. We cannot, however, fully correct
these problems unless we DO something about
the environment.
If we don’t, those pearls are going to melt out of
your hand like a Hershey Chocolate Kiss candy, as
it did in mine, on a near record-breaking 80°
Christmas Day (2021) in North Texas.
Elsie
advertising@fawco.org
6

PROFILE
Gender Justice is
Good for Climate
Change
Stacey Kimmig, a member of AIWC
Cologne and a FAWCO UN Climate
Rep, explains how she got
involved.
I grew up in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was a
small town when I was little, with corn fields and
rural roads. My parents were active in establishing
the church we would attend my whole childhood;
they raised money to build the church and (very
importantly for my parents) buy an organ.
My Mom was often the music committee Chair, so
she would sign my sister and me up to sing at the
church services as “special music.” She was a
gifted singer and pianist/organist and she taught
piano when we were young. A vivid memory from
my childhood is coming home to children banging
out pieces on our living room piano, sometimes
for weeks on end. I would listen to her praise her
students; she always found something that she
could compliment. I admired her patience and
positive attitude.
Me as a little girl
A love of music
I gained my love and appreciation for music from
my parents, both of whom filled our home and
life with beautiful music. I learned to play the
piano, then went on to play the cello. Singing was
and always will be my first love, however. High
school was a wonderful time in my life, filled with
choir, orchestra, a string quartet, roles in musical
productions, as well as building sets and working
in the sound and lighting booth for theater
productions.
Yearning for adventure
Although Schaumburg expanded over the years
(my high school had about 2800 students), my
desire to see the world was nevertheless ever
present. So, in high school, I studied French and
enrolled in an exchange program to go to
Strasbourg for three weeks.
At university, I also studied in Paris for a year,
which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had every intention
of moving back to France after I graduated, but I
met my German exchange student husband in my
senior year, so it was back to the drawing board
on my foreign language skills and life plans.
Moving to Germany
Stacey Kimmig
With my accounting degree completed, I worked
in Chicago for a large public accounting firm and
after two years of long distance romance, I moved
to Germany with nothing but my two suitcases
and a cat.
Abbott Laboratories became my new employer,
where I was responsible for establishing and
managing the growing diagnostic markets in
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It was
very surreal to be at a medical fair drinking vodka
shots in the back room with doctors, but it taught
7

With my husband and three sons
me a lot about respecting other cultures and
defining differences as enrichment in life. It also
taught me that a note saying you gave your friend
$30 to sleep on his couch because there is a war
going on in the country and hotels are closed is an
acceptable receipt on an expense report. Humans
are resilient and wonderful, and every person can
teach you something about yourself and the world
around you.
Three sons later, I was a stay-at-home mom, busy
with school events, building a library with a friend
at the grade school, practicing various skills with
children left in the hallway because they did not
attend religion class, or taking kids out of English
class for individual speaking practice at the local
high school. We moved around Germany and then
spent a year in Sweden and a year in Illinois, the
kids enjoying every minute of time with their
American relatives.
Since 2010, we have been back in Germany in the
former German capital, Bonn. The youngest of my
three children graduated from high school this
summer and will soon be moving on to his next
chapter, so we will be empty nesters. We are
excited for the possibilities this new freedom
brings, but of course, it will be an adjustment.
Protecting the environment
Protecting the environment has always been
important. We were told when I was little to turn
off the water when brushing your teeth, or the
lights off when leaving a room. I think we can all
agree that using the resources we have wisely is
so important.
However, FAWCO offered me a unique
opportunity to learn so much more about the
environmental crisis. This opportunity came about
because I was desperately trying to figure out how
I could see the UN from the inside, as I had always
been fascinated by the UN’s work and I now lived
right down the street from their headquarters in
Bonn. Laurie Richardson made it happen by
applying for accreditation and FAWCO now has
had two slots to attend the climate conference
(and associated environmental meetings).
Attending COP sessions
Since 2017, Ayuska Motha and I have been
attending the COP sessions, planning and strategy
meetings, supporting actions and tweet storms in
cooperation with the Women and Gender
Constituency. The WGC is a group of NGOs, based
worldwide, which work together at COP to ensure
that any agreements made at the climate
conference itself include the all important gender
and human rights language.
Speaking to women from around the world and
hearing experts speak year after year has made
me much more knowledgeable about how the
climate crisis impacts women and girls more than
it does men, although we all inhabit the same
planet. It has also taught me that the climate crisis
is complex and cannot be solved with one simple
solution. There’s no magic bullet. We are all
sharing this one planet, and yet, none of us have
the entire picture; the issue is too complex.
For example, if we stop buying fast fashion, how
many people in developing countries will be out of
a job which barely puts food on the table for their
children? Do we know the answer to that, or do we
just feel good that we are doing our part to save
the planet? Of course, it’s a good idea to buy less
and spend more on sustainable fashion, but until
a system for fair working conditions is in place, we
might worsen conditions for others by our actions.
That’s why more inclusion and leadership from
local peoples and indigenous communities is
essential in any climate solution.
The challenge for me
My biggest challenge in my work at the climate
conferences has been to acquire enough
knowledge of the issues as well as understanding
the UN processes to be effective in pushing for
gender justice in the process and the solutions. An
important part of being an advocate is to
approach the negotiators at the conferences and
give them a rundown of key demands from the
WGC about what we hope to see in the final
agreement reached between country
negotiators. I have had negotiators very
interested to learn more from the WGC about the
key issues of gender justice and how important it
is to include gender considerations in climate
change solutions, but I’ve also had a negotiator tell
me to quit distracting and delaying their work by
bringing gender into it. So, another essential skill is
reading people and being quick enough on your
feet to steer the discussion in a positive direction.
An important message
I think that the most important message I can pass
on from my work on environmental issues is to
contradict a statement from Barack Obama. In his
speech at COP 26 in Glasgow in November, he
said, “To all the young people out there – I want
you to stay angry. I want you to stay frustrated.” I
don’t want that. I don’t believe that a constant
8

atmosphere of anger and frustration is what we
need to solve the climate crisis.
Anger and frustration over a long period of time
cause fatigue and burnout, but solving the climate
issues facing us will take time. I see anger in some
activists; their anger is often directed towards
others, which develops into a “them against us”
mentality. But we need everyone to work together
(and feel responsible) to solve the complex issue
of climate change. We also need to be mindful of
the needs and fears of others around the
world. So, I like to share a different message: “Stay
positive. Don’t be frustrated or overwhelmed.
Know that change happens one step at a time.
Every step matters. It might not feel fast enough,
but every step forward is better than a step
back. Do what you can to make better choices in
your daily life. Spend more time communing with
and appreciating nature, it has much to tell you
and it is a force more powerful than mankind. We
will get there, don’t give up.”
It seems to me that the best social movements in
history were the ones which speak of coming
together and being kind. That is what I hope for us
and our planet.
My work with FAWCO
Through my work with FAWCO, I believe that I am
contributing in some small way to a better
future. UN work is slow and tedious, focusing on
lengthy agreements and painstakingly long
discussions on articles and their wording. It is not
always obvious why a negotiator has a problem
with the formulation of the document. This is
when I wish I had more of my Mom’s patience!
However, being at the climate conferences,
surrounded by people who truly care about the
work they are doing is inspiring. I am encouraged
by the number of people making a difference in
their local communities; these are the unsung
heroes in the climate crisis and I wish more
funding would be made available to those
organizations. Some funding sources only fund
projects of a million dollars or more. This leaves
With my Mom and Dad and siblings
many small projects out, where $5000 could have
a huge impact.
Limited funding and other frustrations
Most of the NGOs we work with have limited
funding and never enough staff. So my job, in
supporting the WGC, is often to jump in when no
one else can. Early on I volunteered to deliver the
statement for the WGC at a closing plenary. After
helping to put the statement together and
practicing how to cram four minutes of text into
our allotted two minutes by speed-speaking, we
were finally told at 10 or 11 pm that the final
statements by the constituencies would not be
heard. I recorded our statement anyway and it
was posted online.
The next year a colleague from Africa was
supposed to give the statement and I found
myself alone with her to write the two-minute
speech. I felt completely unprepared for the task,
but I rolled up my sleeves and we got it
done. Although these statements won’t stop
climate change, they do let people in power know
that we are here and we are paying attention.
That is probably more impactful than the fact that
With Ayuska Motha at COP25
9

I no longer use plastic bags. Everyone can play a
part in making positive change towards a better
future for us all and I am very grateful for the
opportunity to work, through FAWCO, on the
important issue of climate change.
A favorite memory
The year I studied in Paris happened to be the
year when the Berlin wall fell. As events unfolded,
my American roommate and I spontaneously
decided to get on a night bus to Berlin to see what
we could see. It was a long journey, but we made
it and what we encountered in Berlin was an
experience I’ll never forget.
We arrived before the partying on the walls began
that you remember from the news. When we were
there, people were excited, but quiet, milling
about, but unsure exactly what would happen
next. We made our way to the wall where a few
people were picking away at the stones using
hammers and picks and whatever they had to
break the wall. We could feel the historic
importance, but it was unclear how it would all
unfold. East German guards were still protecting
the wall.
At some point, my friend and I found ourselves in
front of a hole in the wall large enough to look
through. On the other side, a guard looked back at
us. It is a shame that I couldn’t speak German
back then; I would have liked to know what he was
East German guard at the Berlin wall the night it fell
thinking. He seemed unsure of his duty at this
point; should he be keeping people in, or keeping
westerners out, or none of the above? We
communicated through gestures and shared a
moment with him.
I will never forget his face and I wonder what
became of him. My little box of Berlin wall pieces
that I chipped off the wall that night is one of my
favorite souvenirs from my travels.
10

PROFILE FEATURE
The Environment Needs You!
And You Need the Environment.
Amanda Drollinger, AWC Central Scotland member and FAWCO’s
Environment Co-Chair, on a solution-based approach to
environmental issues.
I was born in Ohio and have a Bachelor’s of
Architecture from Pratt Institute in New York and
a Master of Architecture from the University of
Edinburgh and the Edinburgh College of Art. I live
in Scotland and am the director of my own design
practice, Henderson Drollinger Architects.
Approaching the Environment
I only give this background about myself to an
article otherwise about the environment and
climate action because these are the things that
currently and for a long time have framed my
understanding of the world and the environment.
My interests in hiking and nature, education and
work in design inform how I approach any
situation or problem. My youth in Ohio, in rural
farm areas or urban cities and hiking and
camping on land or sailing on Lake Erie, showed
me that the tension and balance between human
civilization and nature is ever present. I think
there is a lot of fear of the unknown or unfamiliar
and many approaches to coping with that fear
and uncertainty.
My education in architecture (built environment)
gave me a methodology for approaching this fear
and solving complex problems that have created
the fear. My favorite phrase from architecture
school was “fail fast to succeed sooner” which
simply means: try to solve the problem and keep
Polar Bears at COP26
trying until the problem is actually resolved, no
matter how many attempts are required. That is
my approach to solving complex design problems.
The environment is simply a complex problem to
negotiate. There are no right answers and no
wrong answers either, just ones that don’t work at
that moment or have been misapplied.
Because my approach is solution based, I prefer
to use the SDG #13 Climate Action to any of the
other phrases to describe what is needed and
what is happening in the world. It is positive and
COP26
11

directing. You might prefer or disagree with global
warming/ heating, climate change, climate
emergency/ crisis or breakdown. Climate action is
something all humans do already, not always as
effectively or as well as we need to do. If you are a
human and live in a building in any kind of social
context, climate action is a part of your existence
and we need to do it better. We have failed fast
and now we need to succeed sooner by trying
again with new, different and more solutions.
Who is needed? Everyone
Being on the Environment Team has given me the
opportunity to think about and speak about the
environment on a regular basis. The group is
dynamic in location and life experience and
everyone on the team offers their views openly on
environmental topics. The views and topics don’t
need to be the same. They need to be as far
ranging as the people that express them. The
environment is relevant to everyone and so needs
everyone to participate in it through educated and
evolving/ reactive climate action. We need you.
Absolutely every single person of the estimated
7.8 billion people living today. Thus we are
planning and working for the estimated 10 billion
people that will be alive in 2050, over half of which
don’t exist yet.
How can the topic be divided up? By scale:
Small, Medium and Large
The problems (and solutions) of climate action are
small, medium and large. Small is the individual,
it’s you and your day-to-day life. Medium is your
local community, city/ village, state or country.
Large is global. The whole interconnected network
of human existence. We are all participating in all
three scales all the time but our individual
personalities may lead us to feel calmer thinking
about only one at a time. That is ok. We all need to
work on the problems and solutions that appeal
Amanda with Mimi Gilmore (AW of Aberdeen) and Tara
Scott (AWC Central Scotland) at COP26
to us. That is how we as a society achieve the best
outcomes for everyone.
Where can I get information? COP /
UNFCCC
Due to twists and turns in circumstances I had the
opportunity to attend in person COP26 (the 26 th
Conference of Parties, a UN Climate Change
Conference) which was in Glasgow, Scotland in
November 2021. An event that until it happened
was uncertain in format and location.
Climate change in the form of a pandemic had
changed the year it took place and also meant it
might have only been virtual. In the end it was in
person and virtual. Many at the event lamented
that this was the 26 th and the topics were the
same. For me this was a testament to human
survival. The problems of the climate have not
been solved so the discussions and search for
solutions continue. They will always need to
continue because the topics and problems will
always be evolving as we evolve. This COP and
future COP are open invitations to the global
population, you too, to get involved, to find out
what we as a global society know already and
where we are trying to go. The world is there in
some form or another, along with the jumping off
points for thousands of topics, solutions and
questions. We need you and your interests and
passions to make this world livable for everyone.
Amanda Drollinger is a member of AWC Scotland
and co-chair of FAWCO’s Environment team.
Originally from Ohio, she currently lives in Scotland
with her partner and daughter and has her own
architectural design practice.
Amanda at COP26
12

PROFILE
Grassroots
Thinking Sprouts
Green Recycling
in Moscow
Maria (Masha) Megrelis, member
of AWO Moscow, on living a more
sustainable life.
I grew up as the daughter of a Russian Orthodox
priest in New York. On Saturday mornings, we
went to Russian school; our piano and ballet
teachers were Russian. And we lived next door to
the church, so we spent a lot of time there! Too
much for my taste when I was a child, but I have
come to appreciate this aspect of my childhood as
I have gotten older and tried to pass some of
these traditions on to my children. There was a
very vibrant Russian immigrant community in the
small village on Long Island where I grew up. I
never planned on living in Russia. But my roots
pulled me back, I guess.
Studying abroad
I spent my last year of high school studying in
France on a School Year Abroad program
sponsored by Phillips Andover and Exeter
Masha Megrelis
Academies. I was extremely fortunate to be
accepted to this program and was one of the
only students participating from a public high
school. It was truly an amazing experience and
one that changed my life. I remember sitting on
the floor in the local library resource room
researching study abroad programs. I recall that I
requested an application and submitted it on my
own, with little or no input from my parents. It
was the first experience in my life that showed me
I could accomplish amazing things if I just dared to
try, even if the chance of succeeding seemed
infinitely small.
Living abroad at this age, with a host family, truly
allowed me to immerse myself in a new culture
and language, which has served me well
throughout my life. Without this program, I don’t
think I would have ended up working for a French
company, meeting my French husband, and
having five children who are equally comfortable
in France as well as in the USA. So, when I say it
changed my life - it really changed my life!
Afterward, I studied Russian and French at Boston
College. I spent a semester in Moscow and a
semester in Paris during my junior year abroad.
Moving to Moscow
I came to Moscow right after I graduated from
university in 1995. I was very fortunate as, at the
time, a college graduate with no experience could
find great job opportunities in Russia. I worked as
an advertising manager on the launch of the
Russian edition of ELLE magazine and then as
advertising director of Parents Magazine.
Early days with my Dad
I met my French husband, who is an
entrepreneur, in Moscow. We never thought we
would stay in Russia; however, 27 years later, we
13

are still here. It’s been a wonderful place to raise a
family, and we love it here.
I took a break from working for several years and
then opened my own business - one of Moscow’s
first children’s hair salons. It was an Americanstyle
salon where kids sat in cars and airplanes
and watched cartoons while getting their hair cut. I
had the business for 12 years and loved it, but
several years ago, it became clear that it was a
good time to sell. I have enjoyed slowing down a
little in the past three years, focusing on my five
children and charity work.
The importance of the environment
I believe the environment is the most critical issue
for our generation, and it is tied to so many other
issues - social justice and health, to name just two.
The negative effects of climate change have led to
an increasing number of refugees fleeing unlivable
situations in their home countries. Climate
disasters are wreaking havoc worldwide and often
impacting the most those who have the least.
However, climate change directly affects ALL of us,
rich or poor, and it impacts our health and our
children’s health.
On another level, I find it tragic that the way we
live now, our unsustainable consumerism, and the
desire for more - on both a personal and
corporate level - has led to pollution,
overdevelopment, and the depletion of natural
resources. We are literally killing the natural world.
How can we not be horrified that by 2050 the
oceans may contain more plastic than fish? How
can we not be terrified that so many animals are
facing extinction? I think everyone would be
horrified if they thought about this issue in depth.
However, many people prefer to glance at the
headlines and then turn away, choosing not to
think about it.
years as a toothbrush holder. It says Reduce,
Reuse and Recycle! So maybe the interest was
there, but it took a few decades for me to act.
Doing something about it
When I believe something is important, I believe in
doing something about it. I started a Facebook
group, Moscow Expats Green Group, to have a
place where expats could ask practical questions
related to Moscow and the environment (where to
recycle, the location of second-hand and zero
waste stores, vegan food options) as well as being
a forum to discuss broader environmental issues. I
also began a second-hand group in Telegram for
the English-speaking community, and both groups
have grown to several hundred members.
I joined AWO, explicitly intending to do activities
related to the environment. I have been writing a
Green News section in the AWO Moscow monthly
newsletter for the past two years. And my friend,
Masha Sumina, and I recently started an AWO
Green Group focused on visiting “Green” places in
Moscow. The group’s purpose is to share our
excitement about eco-friendly places in Moscow.
We organize visits to second-hand, and zero waste
stores, vegetarian restaurants and other “green”
businesses in Moscow. Despite our names and
blonde hair, Masha and I come from very different
backgrounds - she is an atheist, my father was a
priest. She grew up in the Soviet Union, and I grew
up in the USA. She has one child; I have five. And
yet, we are truly kindred spirits. The more I get to
know her, the more I realize we have in common.
My “aha” moment
About four years ago, I had my “aha” moment.
Something I saw on Facebook about the
environment, I can’t remember what dismayed
me. So, then I started doing more research,
watching documentaries, reading books. At first
mostly about plastic. As a result, my first step was
to reduce our use of disposable plastic at home.
And this led me to think about the idea of
consumerism and how it’s affecting the
environment. This led me to do a “No Buy Year” in
2020. As a result of that experience, I still buy
almost nothing new - instead, I focus on secondhand.
But I also try to think hard about whether I
truly need something, even when buying secondhand
items.
I can’t say I was especially interested in the
environment when I was younger - on the other
hand, I still have a reusable plastic mug from
Boston College, which we have used for over 25
With my husband, kids and our dog
14

She is also one of the few people I know who is as
passionate as I am about the environment and
trying to do our part to make things better and
inspire others.
Some people say actual change can only come if
governments and multinational companies take
action. Things DO have to change at this level, but
I also believe that our actions matter and make a
difference. Grassroots movements have led to the
end of colonialism, apartheid, and communism.
Why can’t it also be a major driver of change for
environmental issues?
Moscow Expats Buy/Sell Group
I began the Moscow Expats Buy/Sell Group on
Telegram two years ago. We now have over 900
members, and the group is very active. I love that
it gives people a way to responsibly re-home their
no longer needed items. And I also love that it
allows our community the opportunity to buy
things they need or want second-hand. I genuinely
believe this reduces our negative impact on the
environment.
In the USA, recycling has been a big thing for
decades, but less so in Russia. In the past few
years, recycling bins have popped up in quite a
few public places; however, generally they do not
seem to be working as people don’t pay attention
to what they throw in. I sort my recycling and
bring it myself to a center which I am 100% sure
recycles everything they can. So, for the time
being, recycling is not practiced on the same level
as in the USA.
On the other hand, it is recycled locally and not
sent off to pollute developing countries.
Unfortunately, we have learned this is common
practice in many North American and European
countries in the last few years. I am very conflicted
about recycling. I feel we should all do it but, as a
last resort. The focus should be on consuming
less, consuming more responsibly, and closedloop
systems. Recycling should be available;
however, it should be presented as a last resort -
not as a panacea for our environmental problems.
Food waste
If I could wave a magic wand to fix an
environmental issue, my first one would be food
waste. This problem should not exist, especially
since so many people are experiencing food
insecurity. The problem is vast and exists on so
many different levels. Food is thrown away before
it leaves the farm, often only because it doesn’t
conform to a specific size, shape, or color which
retailers demand – perfectly edible food, thrown
away because it doesn’t look perfect. More waste
is created as food is transported. And then more
in the supermarkets (so much food, which can still
be eaten, thrown away because it is approaching
Having fun with the kids
its’ best sell-by date). And then finally even more
waste is created in our homes. This problem
should not exist and I believe it can be solved
relatively easily.
There is a fascinating documentary, Just Eat it,
which is a story about food waste and a couple
that decides to eat only discarded food for six
months. And American Wasteland: How America
Throws Away Nearly Half its Food (and what we can
do about it) is an interesting book taking an indepth
look at this issue.
Women who fascinate me
I would love to meet Jane Goodall and have a
conversation with her about nature, the
environment, and her work. I am also fascinated
by the work of marine biologist, Sylvia Earle. The
lives of these two women are fascinating and
inspiring. Also, since I have been dealing with a
chronic autoimmune issue, I ran across a
documentary, Code Blue, which features the story
of Dr. Saray Stancic - a young doctor who was
diagnosed with MS and only began feeling better
when she realized food is medicine and that she
needed to treat her condition with a functional
medicine approach. She also wrote a book called
What’s Missing From Medicine - six lifestyle changes
to overcome chronic illness.
What all three of these women have in common is
that they are intelligent, independent, never took
no for an answer, and were willing to look outside
the accepted system to find their success,
happiness, and meaning in life.
15

PROFILE FEATURE
Catching the Rain for a Better Future
Carol Strametz, Carole Harbers and Ulrike Henn, members of AWC
Hamburg, illustrate how The FAWCO Foundation Development Grants
have supported projects in India.
support the development of the hamlet Paregaon
Khurd through Nandanvan. With this support, 17
families started transforming their desertified
land and lives. In 2012 Ulrike visited the hamlet
and reported back to our club. At that time a
significant portion of the land had been
regreened; even after two years of drought, there
was still enough water in the open well to last to
the next monsoon season and the families still
had lentils and grains to last until the next
harvest. This was the successful beginning of a
project that has continued with support from the
government of India.
Applying for a Development Grant
Signage at Paregaon Khurd, India
AWC Hamburg has been supporting the
Nandanvan Trust, also known as the Integrated
Tribal Watershed Development Programme
(ITWDP), for more than 11 years. This organization
has proven to be a special, personal and reliable
partner to support environmental projects in
Maharashtra, India—the home of many extremely
poor tribal communities.
The primary scheme of Nandanvan uses
watershed development (“catching the rain”) to
revitalize the desertified land in rural areas. To
“catch the rain” deep furrows traced from the
mountain slopes down into the valley are dug,
filled with loose soil, and planted with young
trees. When the rainy season comes the water is
caught in the furrows, the tree roots hold the soil,
the groundwater in shallow aquifers is
replenished, and the land is regreened. These
measures not only restore natural resources but
increase agricultural productivity and income for
the tribal communities—providing environmental,
economic and social sustainability. The
organization also takes the next step by
promoting education, health and sanitation
through follow-up projects. Collectively,
Nandanvan helps the tribes acquire secure
livelihoods and a chance to live in dignity.
The FAWCO Foundation launched the
Development Grant (DG) in the category
Environment “Nurturing our Planet” in 2017.
Father Robert D’Costa, the director of Nandanvan,
had visited Hamburg shortly before the
announcement and given AWC Hamburg
members updates on Paregaon Khurd and other
projects. It didn’t take us long to realize that a
project for Nandanvan would be perfect for a DG
nomination. A core team set out to develop and
nominate the project “Hazarwadi Open Well”. The
2018 $4500 grant was awarded for the
construction of a concrete-lined open well
(diameter 23 feet, depth 35 feet) with a pipeline
and a pump. This well now provides an adequate
water supply throughout the year, allowing for the
irrigation of a second crop that can be sold for
income, but also improving the hygienic
conditions with clean water.
When did it start?
In 2010, AWC Hamburg joined AIWC Cologne and
AWC Düsseldorf in a FAWCO club effort to
The Hazarwadi Well 2, a 2018 Development Grant recipient
16

In 2019 AWC Hamburg nominated Nandanvan for
a DG in the category Education. To ensure the
sustainability of the eco-restoration and socioeconomic
advancement in watershed developed
areas, it is essential that children, especially girls,
receive an education. Fundamental learning skills
and habits for attending public school can be
taught in kindergarten. The project “A
Kindergarten for Tribal Children in Rural India”
was awarded the $5500 AW Surrey Hope through
Education grant for the construction of a 50 m 2
kindergarten building in Hazarwadi, providing the
needed foundation for future education and
perpetuation of the positive changes the
watershed development had brought to the area.
The following two years we took a step away from
Hazarwadi to the Mokhada Cluster of the Palghar
District of Maharashtra, where a successful
watershed had been implemented. In 2020 we
nominated the project “Trees for Sustainability”
for a DG in the category Environment. The $5000
grant was awarded to buy 1500 cashew trees to
plant on 40 acres to secure the watershed but also
New kindergarten school house, a 2019 Development Grant
recipient
Carol Harbers joined AWC Hamburg in 2017, when
she retired from her work as a research scientist in
the field of molecular cancer. An American who has
lived in Hamburg for 40 years, she enjoys the
satisfaction of helping others. Carol Strametz is the
coordinator of the core team. Her career as an
editor and author in the field of chemistry and her
enthusiasm for philanthropy bring a special
balance to the team. She joined AWC Hamburg in
2012 after living in Frankfurt for over 40 years.
Ulrike Henn provides the emotional drive to our
team, having visited Maharashtra and seeing how
Nandanvan touches so many lives. Ulrike studied
photo design in Munich, managed her own press
agency from 1990 to 2004, and freelances as a
photographer in the USA and Germany. The team
also includes Michaela Anchan who lived in Mumbai
for seven years.
Recently created watershed, a result of a 2021
Development Grant
provide a second crop for cash income for 40
families, stopping the devastating migration for
seasonal work. Our nomination “Harvesting and
Storing for a Better Living” in 2021 was awarded
the $4000 DG in the category Environment to
finance the construction of a storage building for
harvested grains and seeds. Not only does the
storage building, which will be used by 22 families,
protect the harvest from bad weather and
predators but it will allow the farmers to take
advantage of market fluctuations to increase their
income as much as they can.
AWC Hamburg is proud and honored that we have
been able to support the Nandanvan through the
FAWCO Foundation Development Grants. What
started out as a small group of supporters in our
club has grown to a large group that looks forward
to our Nandanvan presentations and fun(d)
raisers. Knowing that these environmental
projects ensure the sustainability of the watershed
and have greatly improved the lives of many in the
area is our reward.
Carol Harbers, Carol Strametz and Ulrike Henn
17

Lessons from “Le
Terroir”: Caring
for Vineyards,
Saving the Earth
Mary Bruton Sandifer, member of
AW Aquitaine, is a writer and
vineyard owner who combines
these passions with caring for the
environment.
I was born in Washington DC, the first daughter
after four boys. Though spoiled by my brothers,
three younger sisters brought a mantle of
responsibility. Our parents were very strict, so we
children became a tribe, defending each other in
our secret mischief-making. We loved the fun of
our grandparents’ farm in Michigan. Barns,
animals, cousins! My grandmother grew their
food, killed the chickens as needed, milked cows,
made her own butter, bread, jam… AND she sent
her eldest daughter to the city for a proper
education. She told me later, “farming is a hard
life.” Indeed it is.
My favorite childhood game was playacting with
siblings and friends. I made up a story (often
about covered wagons crossing the American
Me aged about five
PROFILE
plains), assigned roles, and we acted it out in the
backyard for days, lost in our imaginations. My
sixth-grade teacher told my parents I would grow
up to be a writer.
As a teenager, I went to a wonderful girls’ school
in Maryland, Regina, which emphasized concern
for others. When we demanded our “freedom,”
the teachers asked, “But what will you do with
your freedom?” They taught us to think critically
and put our ethics into action. One teacher
sponsored me for a summer study program at
Oxford University. It was my first experience of
Europe, and I was utterly smitten.
Early Adulthood
Mary Bruton Sandifer
I attended Catholic University in DC, a superb
school where I studied Literature. After
graduating, I worked 12 hours a day waiting on
tables for money to go back to Europe. I adored
France and Italy, learned those languages and
met international students who opened my eyes
to how the USA is perceived from abroad, the
positive and the negative.
When I came back stateside, I worked at the
National Endowment for the Arts in a clerical
position surrounded by exotic luminaries from
the art world. That created a hankering to
experience the excitement of New York
City. There I met John, my French-American
husband, in a love-at-first-sight moment. Working
as a freelance writer in such a demanding market
was an excellent challenge to hone my skills. We
didn’t have much money, but we had friends,
opportunities and a beautiful view of the Hudson
River. A daughter was born, and I think NYC is the
place where we grew our wings.
18

and air. All this impacts every other issue and
women in particular. When there is access to
proper nutrition, water, and air, education
becomes possible, and educated mothers have
healthier children. The health of mothers and
children isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a starting
place, a lynchpin in long-term economic and
geopolitical stability.
Living climate change
Our life changed when we took over this land. We
saw how our neighbors, small-scale farmers, are
the canary in the mine for environmental
issues. They live climate change every day, and
they are penalized when policymakers prioritize
large industrial farms even though we know “local”
is increasingly vital to agricultural quality.
The Sandifer Family
Mid Adulthood
In our 30s, my husband’s work brought us to
Europe. Brussels to London to Paris, adding two
sons along the way. It was enriching and fun, but
not always easy - starting over, no friends, small
children, husband away on travel…
Paris became our favorite home. The children
attended a bilingual school, and I finally had time
for some playwriting projects (expanding on the
backyard version). Two staged readings allowed
me to work with actors and observe audience
reactions - what worked, what didn’t. This was
essential to the storytelling craft.
Meanwhile, we spent our free time helping John’s
parents on their estate outside Bordeaux. When
they died, we decided to take over the property
and make wine. It was a crazy leap of faith. Grapes
and Old Stones is my chronicle of our discoveries,
struggles and joys. The biggest surprise was when
our three children returned from the States to join
us. Among their many projects was opening a
restaurant here where we have spectacular views
of the Dordogne valley.
Daily family life is focused on making wine and
renovating this property, once a polyculture farm.
Henri advises on soil remediation; Julien is head of
vineyard operations. Grandchildren now mark our
5th generation at Domaine La Tourbeille.
Farmers have been discouraged, which is urgent
because so many are now retiring. This threatens
the transmission of agricultural experience of
people who have worked the land for
generations. To say nothing of the loss of fertile
land if it is sold and paved over, as happened in
the Maryland suburbs in the 1970s.
About 10 years ago, I learned that laws were
quietly passed that would erode the right of
farmers to freely exchange seeds as they have
done for thousands of years. This event spurred
me to write a novel about the greed that threatens
seed sovereignty and traditional know-how.
Fortunately, there’s been a backlash in
Europe. Support is growing for “local” and small
agricultural businesses. The pandemic has been a
wake-up call for the need to grow basic food in
our home territory. People used to say that in
order to “feed the world,” we need colossal farms,
and we are discovering that is not true.
Learning to care for a vineyard
When we took over the vineyard, we were
novices. We read books and hired an oenologist to
accompany us, but mostly we are self-taught.
Neighbors have been generous, sharing advice,
time, cuttings, and even equipment. Our passion
The importance of the environment
When everything is urgent - war, corruption, a
pandemic, poverty – how can we decide what to
tackle first? But every pressing issue pales when
you ask: if the land is poisoned or sterile or
appropriated for private gain, what will we eat? If
the water is polluted, what will we drink? If the air
is toxic, what will we breathe? If we ruin our
habitat, nothing else matters. To solve any
problem, we have to be healthy, and much of our
health depends on the quality of our food, water
La Tourbeille, with my husband John, a rosé moment on
the hilltop with the river valley beyond
19

instructs school cafeterias to serve organic food,
source it locally, and offer a menu with no meat at
all once a week. This change prompted a surge in
support for local vegetable growers, with regions
providing land and some financing. And, of course,
it means children are experiencing plant-based
options to meat in a normalized context. This is
how the world changes, through the children.
Another recent development: programs to
encourage young people to go into farming. Many
farmers are retiring, and their children are not
always taking over the farm. Our son has been
accompanied by the Chamber of Agriculture. It’s
not perfect, but we’re impressed by the caliber of
passionate people who helped.
Tree planting in 2014
is the soil. We had no a priori, except that healthy
soil will make healthy plants and thus delicious
fruit and vegetables. We witnessed the
degradation caused by industrial methods
(compacted soil, asphyxiated roots, lack of mineral
uptake, accumulation of heavy metals, the loss of
natural “helpers” due to toxic chemicals…). So
we’re learning techniques like sowing particular
plants between crop rows to aerate compacted
soil, extracting heavy metals, and encouraging
helper insects; the use of certain fungi to improve
the mycorrhizal (symbiotic) function, which boosts
the plant’s immune system and health; replanting
biodiversity hedges… It’s all about restoring the
balance so that Nature can defend herself.
Industrial farming makes me mad
The global explosion of industrial animal farming
makes me angry. The increased demand for meat
has caused deforestation and the loss of precious
natural habitats. Industrial production often
means cruel conditions for the animals,
antibiotics, and hormones that cross into the
human body with significant health issues, sewage
runoff that fouls the water, and the rise of carbon
emissions. This supermarket meat may be
cheaper, but many people don’t realize they’re
likely paying more for it anyway through subsidies
via taxes.
And it’s interesting to note that the grandparents
of most French people our age lived in the
countryside, and many were farmers. The result is
that people still have a feeling for “the land.” Even
if they are city lovers, they maintain a nostalgia
about farms and ancestors, a love of good (real)
food, and a reverence for meals. And many still
know that food comes from the earth, not from a
supermarket aisle.
Making change
Change only happens if you reach people’s hearts
and minds. We can’t hit adversaries over the head,
they need to see another perspective. Since good
stories “show, don’t tell,” they are a brilliant way to
open people’s eyes. A story can frame a crisis, so
it’s personal and up close. If people feel the
danger, they might want to find a solution.
Inspired by valiant local people and fear for the
future of some traditional practices, I wrote
Jeanne: Seeds of Infinity. It tells the story of an
aristocratic young French woman in a world where
seed sovereignty and traditional herbal remedies
are banned. Her botanist father is imprisoned for
defying the new laws, and her family ends up
losing everything.
It was only a hundred years ago that meat was
considered a “nice-to-have,” a treat for occasional
meals. The meat eaten back then was wholesome
and nutritious. To turn this around, we need to
buy from farmers who produce ethically raised
chicken, pork, beef… Yes, it costs more, but the
idea is to eat less but eat better and include a
variety of grains and pulses. You don’t have to be
vegetarian to opt out of the industrial meat
paradigm and reap health benefits from a more
plant-based diet.
Food production in France
Here in France, the tide may finally be changing
towards “local.” For example, in 2020, a rule
Serving our wine at the Fête du Village
20

I think the best I can offer our world is stories. I
am gratified when readers of Grapes and Old
Stones tell me the anecdotes help them feel that
nature truly is precious and fragile.
The power of plants
I’m fascinated by the power of plants to heal and
the ancient knowledge of healers who cared for
their villagers before modern medicine. I’ve been
cultivating a medicinal garden for years, with
plants for small cures and herbal teas. Some are
ordinary but have wonderful properties! Like
Rosemary, Bourrache, Calendula, Verveine… My
favorite is Hélichryse italicum, which heals bruises
and perhaps also “Les bleus d’âme” (bruises of the
soul). The garden is also intended to provide
flowers most months of the year to feed
honeybees and hungry, hard-working insects and
pollinators. If I could start a new career, I would
raise bees and concoct herbal remedies.
and ourselves. She lives on a farm in southern
Appalachia where she writes, works her land,
connects with her neighbors and local traditions. I
love her sense of modesty and the keen, loving,
and critical eye with which she writes about
human nature and the richness of Mother Nature.
Editors Note: Mary’s book Jeanne: Seeds of
Infinity was published in December 2021. The
book is set in rural France in a time when
traditional customs persist and the wisdom of
herbal healers is respected; a place where Nature
still unfolds her magic. Click the link to find out
more about it.
Finding inspiration
I would love to meet Barbara Kingsolver, biologist,
writer, environmental champion. Her book The
Poisonwood Bible inspired me beyond
description. She weaves a riveting tale that takes
place in the Republic of Congo in the 1960s. It
makes us care about the fate of the characters
and understand how self-righteous and rigid
dogma can destroy an emerging culture, nature,
At my book launch
21

FEATURE
24 Hours in Amsterdam, the Netherlands:
the Venice of the North
Sharon Smillie, FAWCO Rep of AWC Amsterdam, gives us her top tips
for a day in the city.
From its picturesque canals to its historic homes
and museums, Amsterdam is a popular
destination. Rent a bike and join us locals to
explore this beautiful city. Must-see sights include
the Anne Frank House, the Rijks, Stedelijk, Van
Gogh and other museums, and the world's only
floating flower market. Go to a gig at the Paradiso,
enjoy classical music at the Concert Gebouw, or
take in a world-class ballet performance at the
National Ballet Theatre. Reach out to us and we
will tour you around or provide you with our list of
favorite places to go!
Wikipedia tells us some interesting facts:
“Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of
the Netherlands, with a population of 872,680 within
the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban area and
2,480,394 in the metropolitan area. Found within the
province of North Holland, Amsterdam is colloquially
referred to as the "Venice of the North" due to the
large number of canals which form a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Amsterdam was founded on the Amstel River, which
was dammed to control flooding; the city's name
derives from the Amstel dam. Originating as a small
fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam
became one of the most important ports in the
world during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th
century, and became the leading center for finance
and trade. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city
expanded and many new neighborhoods and
suburbs were planned and built. The 17th century
canals of Amsterdam and the 19th–20th century
Defense Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO
World Heritage List. Sloten, annexed in 1921 by the
municipality of Amsterdam, is the oldest part of the
city, dating to the 9th century.
Amsterdam experienced an influx of religions and
cultures after the Second World War. With 180
different nationalities, Amsterdam is home to one of
the widest varieties of nationalities of any city in the
world. The proportion of the population of
immigrant origin in the city proper is about 50% and
88% of the population are Dutch citizens. There is no
The canals of Amsterdam
22

shortage of English spoken in Amsterdam, but
outside of the city, Dutch is a good language to know!
Amsterdam has an oceanic climate strongly
influenced by its proximity to the North Sea and with
prevailing westerly winds. While winters are cool and
summers warm, temperatures vary year by year.
There can occasionally be cold, snowy winters and
hot, humid summers.” We can have a cool, rainy
summer or relatively warm, rainy winters. If you
don’t like the weather here, hang around because
it will change.
Where to eat
Breakfast: "Uitsmijter" is an open-faced sandwich
with two fried eggs, ham and cheese, which
literally means "forcefully throw out." It's a solid
meal, usually taken at breakfast or lunch, and
eaten with a knife and fork.
a Development Grant from The FAWCO
Foundation. Do not miss it! Dignita has three
locations, Konninginneweg 218,
Spaarndammerstraat 55h and Nieuwe
Herengracht 18a, behind the Hermitage museum.
Visit the museum then stop there for a bite!
Lunch: There are too many places to choose
from! One is Blue Amsterdam, with the best 360
degree view of Amsterdam. Located in the
shopping area of the Kalverstraat, it is definitely
worth a look!
A visit to Amsterdam is not complete without
eating friets and sampling some of our great
cookies! That is considered a good lunch. Try
Mannekin Pijs, located at Damrak 41, in the center
of the city, or Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx at
Voetboogstraat 33 for the best in the city. And for
cookies, Belicio Cheats, Heiligeweg 20h, and Van
Stapele, Heisteg 4, for the best chocolate cookie in
the world, are not to be missed!
And if you like herring or are daring, check out
one of the many herring stands throughout the
city… but watch out for the gulls, they like it too
and may try to take yours!
Dinner: Don’t miss the Rijstafel, brought from
Indonesia. The best places are Sampurna, Singel
498, and Sama Sebo, PC Hoofstraat 27, and be
sure to order the entire range of dishes. For
traditional Dutch food, try Moeders, Rozengracht
251, or De Vijff Vlieghen, Spuistraat 294-302, for
dinner in a historical buiding with original
Rembrandt etchings.
“Uitsmijter”
It’s sold in most traditional Brown Cafes, but
according to Mokum Magazine, Koffiehuis De
Hoek’s uitsmijter, at Prinsengracht 341, got a 10
out of 10.
Brunch: Dignita is rated one of the best brunch
places in Amsterdam and has previously received
Snacks: If it’s you’re still hungry try the best apple
pie in Amsterdam at Winkel 43, or Noordemarkt
43 or stop by any local bar to fill yourself up with
bitterballen or croquettes.
And last but not least, no trip to Amsterdam
would be complete without a stroopwafel, the
best ones to be found at Lanskroon Bakery,
Singel 385.
Meet some of the ladies of AWC Amsterdam
23

Top three places to visit in the morning
Go to Anne Frank’s House to beat the crowds first
thing (book tickets online and in advance), or the
Rijks Museum (Dutch Masters), or Van Gogh
Museum. Once you’ve had enough, stroll along the
canals or take a boat ride on the UNESCO World
Heritage canals, and meander through the 9
Straatjes to have lunch at one of the quaint cafes
or go to Blue, a rooftop cafe and bar with
outstanding views of the city. Order a nice salad or
broodje and drinks or koffie verkeerd (latte) and
take in the rooftop views of the city center.
Top three restaurants
1. D’Vijff Vlieghen is a well-known location for an
elegant Dutch meal. The dining area is spread
across a variety of rooms, including one with
original etchings by Rembrandt. The menu
features modern and creative interpretations
using typical Dutch ingredients. (D'Vijff Vlieghen
Spuistraat 294-302, Centrum)
2. If a restaurant has been around for over 60
years you can rest assured that it is well worth the
visit. Hap-Hmm specializes in authentic Dutch
cuisine, serving traditional dishes made fresh daily.
The menu is constantly changing, so you'll have to
pop in to find out what's cooking today. (Hap-
Hmm, Eerste Helmersstraat 33, Oud-West)
3. In Amsterdam Oost, on the recently renovated
Javaplein, you will find restaurant Wilde Zwijnen.
Do not expect an authentic Dutch interior but the
focus here is on presenting authentic Dutch
dishes, using fresh, high-quality seasonal products
as much as possible. (Wilde Zwijnen, Javaplein 23,
Oost)
Sharon Smillie is the FAWCO Rep for the American
Women’s Club Amsterdam (AWCA). Originally from
the Cleveland area, she now calls Amsterdam home
and has been living in the city for 21 years.
Or grab some friets mayonnaise at Vlaams
Friteshuis Vleminckx. This outlet is nothing more
than a tiny hole in the wall, but you’ll know by the
long line outside that something special awaits.
People come from all over for their amazing fries
and after one bite you’ll soon see why. They hand
cut the fries and have a huge selection of sauces to
choose from.
Afternoon activities
There is a quaint little church called H.H. Petrus en
Pauluskerk (De Papegaai) hidden away on the
Kalverstraat, which is worth a visit. Afterwards you
can go shopping then make your way to the 9 Little
Streets for quaint individual shops.
After-dark fun
Locals head to restaurants for dinner and drinks
with family and friends, or go to various night clubs
or catch a gig at Paradiso, Melkweg, or concert at
the Concert Gebouw.
On nice days or evenings locals will take their boat
out on the canals or Amstel River. Tourists can rent
a boat too.
Check out Boat Rental Amsterdam Canals (Email:
werckvaart@hotmail.com); Canal Motorboats, Boaty
Boat Rentals.
Sharon out skating with AWA friends
24

PROFILE
Art As a Catalyst
for
Environmental
Change
Nadine Anderson, member of
AIWC Düsseldorf, tells us about
her life caring for the
environment.
I was born in Jamaica. My father loved the sea,
and each neighborhood I grew up in was always
within walking distance to the sea. Many
Sunday evenings Mom would pack a full fourcourse
dinner and a blanket was spread on the
sandy shore.
In those early years I would visit my grandparents
most summers. They owned a coffee farm
growing most of their own food, in the
mountains. My grandparents were always helping
those around them, always offering dinner to
passing neighbors. My mom had the same
disposition; our car was never empty when my
mom drove us home from school, giving a lift to
someone from her office or having a relative stay
with us a year or two if they were studying
nearby. My father was big on energy conservation
– I still remember one Saturday I was outside
playing with friends and he called me inside,
stood in the doorway of my room and told me to
turn the light off. A story I had to tell my husband
the first time he came home and found me with
no lights on in the house – LOL!
Leaving home
Nadine Anderson Cheng
From Sundays spent drawing with my brother, my
interest in art blossomed, but, led by my father, I
went to study law. After two years of lackluster
studies, I gave it up and changed to art college to
study something I found much more satisfying:
Graphic Communications. This gave rise to my
underlying entrepreneurial spirit.
Soon I was creating products and selling to
classmates and my mom’s coworkers and more.
My first job in advertising paid well and, along
with sold-out exhibitions, enabled me to buy my
first home at 24 years old. I was also giving back,
as per my family tradition, donating art to help
charities such as United Way, and creating free
marketing workshops for other artists to
maximize their earning potential.
Dreaming of Europe
Promoting clean air in Florida
I moved to Florida in 2002, becoming a dual
Jamaican/American citizen. But I always loved
history and anthropology, often daydreaming of
going back to swashbuckling times, being the
sword-wielding wench protecting the weak. As a
result I really wanted to move to Europe. So, after
feeling a bit of burnout in advertising and trying
casting for film in America, I was offered a
teaching job in a Swiss boarding school. It
sounded perfect … I had been divorced for several
years and my only child had flown the nest.
25

I continued to self-educate by attending
workshops/training for handling sea life including
turtles, doing beach/city cleanups and bike rides
to promote fresh air. I volunteered my time also
as a consultant for Collaborising Inc., San
Francisco. Their focus is on cleaning up tented
homeless communities.
On arrival in Germany I curated a five-artist, threecity
tour (Cologne, Basel, London). Humanity the
Exhibition focused on the environment and
social issues. I also became a part of Fashion
Revolution, who give insights to the public on the
issues of “fast fashion” and waste,
encouraging more recycling or upcycling.
My current focus
Miami Beach Women’s Conference
But I met my German now-husband, a single dad,
in Florida and relocated to Hahn, near Düsseldorf
instead in 2018. With his job traveling to many
cities, I’ve gotten to embrace my love of travel and
gain intimate insights into varying cultures. I’ve
also been able to freelance in graphic design and
marketing at my own pace, while working
on being the artist I’ve always wanted to be,
getting a stipend through the city of Düsseldorf to
create a social-themed public sculpture and
creating a project that would help other artists or
refugees integrate better in their newly found
home country.
The importance of protecting the
environment
Simply put – quality of life. Pollution gets in our
lungs and in the water we place in our bodies, and
I feel this creates many of the illnesses around
the world. According to the WHO, ambient air
pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million
deaths per year. I have two non-smoker friends
who have recently been diagnosed with stage 4
lung cancer...
Aside from active manual duty volunteering, my
main focus is driving awareness through art and
information. Art has always been a catalyst for
change – it’s a cross culture communicator. When
people see the statistics and visuals, they get
a better understanding of the harm humanity
imposes on the environment, and those feelings
help to convert.
A new project I recently started is to help upcycle/
create art from items which would have been
wastefully thrown out by companies.
Challenges I see
Ignorance is a big one … people thinking of only
blaming big industries. Yes, they protest in the
streets, but they may not understand that their
everyday behavior makes a significant difference
too: Not buying that 50th pair of shoes, not
turning on every light in the house, not tossing
that cigarette (it goes into our sewage and
chemicals go into our seas and our air) in the
street, not leaving the water running while
brushing their teeth, not using wet wipes instead
of a reusable wash cloth, not driving that one
kilometer instead of walking.
Involvement in the environment started on a
subconscious level for me. I was always picking up
trash on the beach as a kid, and later (sounds
silly), teenage me broke up with a boyfriend
because he littered, and I was so upset I also left a
split trash can in his van. My mom taught me her
love of plants and nurturing and made me acutely
aware of how we each need to do our part in
caring for the environment.
It wasn’t until I migrated to the United States that
my involvement deepened. It started out with me
being invited to be a part of my college Delta
Epsilon Iota National Honor Society. That year I
won the Collegiate DEI Philanthropist and
Environmental Award for my volunteer work with
the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key West, FL.
I was on call to help with stranded pilot whales/
dolphins and doing plenty of fundraising.
A learning system for teens
26

I’m Only Human
I created a mixed media artwork and named it I’m
Only Human because I feel that so many people
have a defeated, “why should I bother” attitude.
Trying to save the whales
Though my curated Humanity exhibition I have
successfully informed and touched the lives of
many. But I am most proud of my volunteering
with the Marine Mammal Conservancy team. I
remember getting a call one stormy night and
leaving Miami to drive the 67 miles to Key Largo in
blinding rain and crashing thunder, where 15 pilot
whales were stranded on shore, sick. Amidst the
lightening that threatened to scorch us and winds
that ripped at the tent, wet suits were donned,
vets and divers alike got in the water to push the
whales back, using human bodies as a shield to
keep them from going back on shore. I was
terrified, but still somehow felt that obligation to
nature. I cried bitterly that week as one by one
they died, wondering who did this to them … our
contaminated wastes from cruises? Our chemicals
from rivers to sea? Maybe this time wasn’t a
success story for the whales, but for me it made
myself and others more determined to do better…
and on other occasions we have been able to save
some sea life.
Food waste
We spend so much energy polluting the air,
chopping down trees, on genetic splicing,
antibiotics, pesticides, water contamination, soil
degradation … yet we fill our plates at the buffet
and don’t eat it, or if it has a slight blemish
it’s thrown out, we buy more than we are able to
consume before it goes bad, after an event we opt
to destroy rather than share with those in need.
The good news is that several steps are being
taken. France has shown initiative by creating laws
specific to food waste, which countries like China
are adopting. I’m still waiting on the United States
and Germany to follow this decision. The
important thing is for all of us to do our part … not
just saying to our kids, “other people are starving
in other countries,” but actually taking action
because yes, there are a lot of starving people in
not only underdeveloped countries but developed
(first world) countries as well.
Environmental issues needing fixing
Deforestation, because I feel ultimately it affects
so many aspects of our lives, our air quality, our
ability to have rainfall without massive landslides
due to soil erosion. The hotter the earth becomes
without trees, the more coastal flooding will occur,
with melting ice caps destroying the seas.
According to research, deforestation also means
that the carbon stored in trees has the potential
to be released back into the atmosphere as
carbon dioxide.
Quick answers
• Okay, this might sound a bit weird, but when I
travel I’ll walk around a city non-stop on
average six-nine hours when I arrive and
sometimes follow a random person who looks
interesting through a random neighborhood,
just to get a glimpse into their world.
• When I grow up I want to be … an artist whose
work is a catalyst for positive change to make
this world a happier, healthier place for all of
humanity regardless of race, disabilities,
religion, social status.
• If I were an animal I’d be a cheetah; fast, though
not at the top of the food chain, they are able
survive in their surroundings. Passion,
evolution, flexibility, adaptability are some of
the words linked to the cheetah, and I feel
these are a part of my personality.
27

28

PROFILE FEATURE
Recognition of the Environment as a
Fundamental Human Right
Deirdre Pirro, an international lawyer, coordinates committees for the
ICEF (International Court of the Environment Foundation). She gives us
an insight into their work.
The ICEF is an international NGO headquartered
in Rome and accredited with the United Nations
(ECOSOC and FAO) and with the Council of
Europe. The Foundation has, since 1991, worked
for the promotion of international environmental
law and for its effective enforcement. Its mission
is to advance social access to justice through
information and participation, founded on the
recognition of the environment as a fundamental
human right.
Deidre working as part of the ICEF
The committee is set up
The idea of the need to create an International
Court of the Environment began as early as 1988.
A committee was set up in Rome to examine the
project. It was uncertain whether the court should
be based simply on moral sanctions, set up as a
permanent institution, or a combination of the
two. In October 1990, the campaign for the
“Creation of an International Court of the
Environment” was officially launched in Rome. To
establish itself as an international NGO, ICEF's
first step was to be set up as an institution under
Italian law. A Special Decree of the Italian
Supreme Court in September 1991 set up the
Scientific Secretariat of ICEF with a view to its
future development and it was registered as a
non-profit organization. Since its inception, the
ICEF has worked to improve dispute resolution
mechanisms within international environmental
law and to promote access to “green” information
and participation in environmental decisionmaking
processes as well as access to justice, in
keeping with Rio Principle 10. Since then, ICEF has
continued its work promoting its model of an
International Court of the Environment in the
belief that, in every case of environmental
damage, there is always a social dimension.
Today, sustainable development is indispensable
for global peace, stability, and the ecological
management of the economy. For the
environment, this means there has to be a
purposeful partnership between the State and
civil society and a trusting and collaborative
relationship between the States and the
International Community. Only the strongest
shared feeling of belonging, typical of a common
cause, will prevent further damage to the
ecosystem, thereby guaranteeing true sustainable
development in the longer term.
Speaking at the UN
29

Future generations must be guaranteed the right
to life. Without the equitable use of resources,
there is a risk is of ethnic conflicts sharpened by
environmental degradation; environmental
migration conflicts; and armed international
conflicts over vital resources like water. In
underdeveloped countries, women are often the
greatest victims of these conflicts. If the pollutionoriented
economic model of production and mass
consumption by more developed countries
continues to remain substantially unchanged, this
is bound to lead to the worsening of the global
environmental crisis.
Working in Kobe, Japan
In 1991 and 1992, ICEF was optimistic because the
European Parliament placed two Motions for
Resolution on the agenda, calling for a European
Community initiative on the subject of an
International Court of the Environment. The first
Resolution of February 1992 stated that the EC
should attend the UNCED Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro in June 1992 and called for “the institution
of an international environmental court with
worldwide jurisdiction, either at the ICJ in The
Hague or at the UN in New York.” Based on this,
ICEF sent a strong delegation, of which I was a
member, to UNCED, which was celebrating the
20th anniversary of the first Human Environment
Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972.
As early as 1994, a special forum, then known as
ICEF's Social Forum, added its voice to this
movement and has regularly attended the
meetings of the UN Commission on Sustainable
Development in New York. Since 1996, ICEF has
also attended the Conferences of Parties (COP) on
Climate Change held annually, including the recent
COP26 held in Glasgow, where we presented a
proposal on sustainable forestry. In 2002, ICEF's
delegation, including me, was present at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), in
Johannesburg, South Africa. This was followed by
the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD), known as the Rio+20
Conference. In April 2016, ICEF held a National
Conference on “Climate, Biodiversity and Italy” at
the Abbey of Montecassino. This led to an
invitation in September 2018 from Moscow's
Department of Natural Resources Management
and Environmental Protection to the 2nd Climate
Forum of Cities, where ICEF's Director Supreme
Court Judge Amedeo Postiglione and I both
presented papers.
The role of women
Women have always played a unique role in
improving and protecting the natural environment
and human health. This is because it is often
women and their families who suffer the most
from environmental degradation, climate change,
pollution, toxic exposure and health risks.
According to the United Nations, 70% of the 1.3
billion people living in conditions of poverty are
women. In urban areas, 40% of the poorest
households are headed by women. Women
predominate in the world's food production (50-
80%), but they own less than 10% of the land. They
are now calling out loud and clear for
environmental and social justice. Therefore, the
great advantage of ICEF's proposal of an
independent, permanent International Court of
the Environment is that it gives standing to
individuals and NGOs, unlike the International
Court of Justice in the Hague, which provides
access only to the States and only if they are
willing to submit to its jurisdiction. Our Court
would provide comprehensive, as opposed to
fragmented, international legal protection and
enforcement. Because it would be responsible for
international environmental cases, it would also
become specialized and create precedent in the
application of the law in this highly complex field.
Deirdre Pirro is the FAWCO Representative for the
American International League of Florence (AILO)
for the 2021-2022 club year. She is also an
international lawyer who has worked as the
International Relations Officer with the
International Court of the Environment Foundation
(ICEF) since its inception in the early 1990s. Her role
is to coordinate ICEF's Organising Committees
throughout the world, which lobby for the creation
of the Court, to assist in the preparation of its
international and national conferences, and to help
in the production of its documentation and in
editing its numerous publications.
30

PROFILE
Environmental
Lessons from the
Pandemic
Ayuska Motha is member of AIWC
Cologne as well as a member of the
AIWCC SDG (Sustainable
Development Goal) Awareness
Team and the FAWCO Environment
Team. She is also a UN Rep to the
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change)
headquartered in Bonn.
I moved around a fair bit during my childhood. My
roots are Sri Lankan since my parents were born
and raised there. I was born in the US but my
childhood was spent in the Pacific and Australia.
My earliest memories are from Canberra,
Australia. From there we then moved to New
Caledonia (a Pacific island) for three years and
then back to Australia.
What did stick in my mind from this move was the
huge difference between the tropical, coastal
environment and the dry, inland environment of
the Canberra region. The lush, vibrant colors of
the flowers, fruits, vegetation, beaches and ocean
starkly contrasted against the harsh, yet stunning,
drought-stricken landscape of inland Australia.
I remember one time when bushfires had
encircled the city of Canberra. At night you could
Me as a young girl
see the glow of the flames surrounding the city
and it was a scary feeling not knowing if or when
the flames might reach our homes.
From Australia to Washington
At age 13, I and my family moved away from
Australia to a suburb of Washington DC where I
spent most of my teens. I remember missing the
sights of that beautiful, rugged landscape, the
vast, southern hemisphere night sky, and the
sounds of the unique bird songs.
I often attribute my love of biology, botany and
zoology back to these early impressions from
these moves, where the different vegetation,
wildlife, climate and temperature made a strong
impression on me, even as a child. I noticed that it
no longer rained or that the grass was brown
instead of green.
Leaving home
The first time I left home, I was in my early 20s
and I moved to Wales to do a Master’s program. I
spent a fabulous year studying in the small
coastal town of Aberystwyth. It was there that I
met a very unusual German student (who I later
married). I returned to the US after my program,
and finished my thesis while working. Then I
decided to study some more, so I went to Duke
University in Durham, North Carolina for two
years. Following that, I eventually ended up
working as an environmental scientist for an
environmental consulting firm in the Washington
DC area. After several years there, I got married
and moved to Germany.
Living in Germany
Ayuska Motha
My family has lived in Cologne for 17 years. We
moved here from Frankfurt right after our second
child was born, for my husband’s work and to be
31

With Stacey Kimmig at COP24 in Poland
closer to my husband’s parents and siblings. Since
I moved around quite a bit growing up, for some
reason, I felt very strongly about trying to raise our
children in one place (as much as possible). So I
have now lived in Cologne longer than I have lived
anywhere else in my life.
We have a daughter who is at university in
Amsterdam and our son is in his final year of
school here in Cologne.
Why protecting the environment is
important
I have so many reasons why I believe that
protecting the environment is so important: 1) for
its own intrinsic value. 2) I love nature. I also
respect and am fascinated by it. 3) Some societies
have had an exploitative, destructive relationship
with nature, which is disrespectful and unjust and
needs to be re-evaluated and corrected. 4)
Humans rely on the environment to sustain and
support human life. 5) Our planet can live without
us, but we are dependent on all the natural
resources to survive.
Working in the field
I have a bachelor’s degree in biology since I have
always been fascinated with the field. I then
completed a Masters of Science in environmental
impact assessment followed by another Masters
in environmental management in environmental
toxicology and risk assessment. I worked in
environmental consulting in the US and then for
several years in Frankfurt. For my consulting work,
I worked on projects for particulate matter
standard setting, solid-waste disposal, air-quality
issues and phasing-out of ozone-depleting
chemicals as well.
For the volunteer work I have been doing for
FAWCO since 2017, I went into the much broader
field of climate change and advocacy. I had not
been even vaguely prepared for it, so I had to start
learning everything from scratch. Coming from a
hard science field to UN advocacy, I found that
these were at complete opposite ends of the
spectrum. Advocacy would have been enough of a
challenge but there was also learning about the
UN system, how things work, all the abbreviations
and the negotiating strategies/games. So for this
portion of my journey, I am not sure how much
any of my degrees helped.
What did help was the first week that I attended
the UNFCCC meetings. Laurie Richardson, the
FAWCO UN Liaison, introduced both Stacey
Kimmig (the other FAWCO UNFCCC Rep) and
myself to the Women and Gender Constituency
(WGC). The WGC are a group of approximately 30
women’s environmental organizations who join to
advocate for gender equality in the UNFCCC
process and its outcomes. WGC works to increase
awareness about the gendered impacts of climate
change and the meaningful participation and
representation of women in decision making and
in the negotiating teams involved in the UNFCCC
process. Working with this group of international
environmental women’s groups, I have been
privileged to work alongside admirable feminists:
strong, determined, focused, powerful, diverse
and humble. I have been honored to have been
able to learn from them and hear about their vital
work in their home countries.
Contributing to managing climate change
By bringing about more awareness on the fact
that women are disproportionately impacted by
climate change, we can include more women as
decision-makers and we will likely see more bold
action on climate change. Studies have shown that
often women decision-makers make less risky
decisions about human health and environmental
issues, but historically these decisions have been
proportionately made by men. By increasing the
awareness that women are often
disproportionately impacted by the effects of
climate change and raising up, amplifying and
supporting women’s solutions that are community
Flyer from a climate event I attended in Germany
32

My sign, marching in Cologne
led, holistic and gender just, we can protect and
support communities and the environment.
From the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter
movements, we have also realized that many
opinions and solutions to climate change (and
other issues) were not being considered since
those in power had not included all perspectives.
So we need a more inclusive approach to
proposing and making decisions on climate
change issues.
We need to include the perspectives of youth to
ensure that the solutions are mid- to long-term,
instead of choosing short-term solutions or
putting off action for another generation to deal
with. We need to include the perspectives of
indigenous peoples since they live on much of the
planet’s remaining carbon sinks and are also
home to a large percentage of the planet’s
biodiversity. We also need to include the
perspectives of those being displaced by sea-level
rise, salinity, droughts, floods, wildfires, and
increased frequency of severe weather events,
since they bring the urgency of the issue into the
decisions and help in determining who pays for all
their losses, caused by emissions elsewhere.
The urgency of climate change has been stifled
since those most severely impacted have not been
fully included in the decision-making and lacked
the power to gain the consensus needed. So I see
my role as working to bring those perspectives in
so as to encourage everyone to work effectively -
and collaboratively to cut greenhouse-gas
emissions drastically by 2030.
If I could wave a magic wand I would fix…
Probably climate change since it is so broad and
far-reaching geographically and temporally and
would therefore address so many complex and
related issues: fossil-fuel extraction and burning
(greenhouse-gas emissions, pollution, loss of
biodiversity), plastics in the environment (air
toxics, solid waste on land, ocean waste,
microplastics), air pollution, climate justice issues
related to heightened exposure of marginalized
communities to negative environmental effects.
Lessons from the pandemic
I think the COVID pandemic has changed
everything and, being the creatures of habit that
we are, we are continuing to fight the lessons and
changes learned. My words are based on my own
personal experience and everyone may have their
own experiences and opinions.
I do think that the lessons we are learning from
the COVID pandemic are numerous and valuable.
However they also will take time for us to accept
and embrace.
1. Our connections are at the core of everything.
We have learned that we are social and need
social connections and support; otherwise
many of us suffer from loneliness and mental
health issues.
2. Related to this is that we have learned the
importance of community and being there to
support and be supported by each other.
3. We have also learned the importance of
resilience everywhere. Only through crises can
we understand how important resilience is to
buffer us from the worst damage be it when
considering a health care system, a city,
human health, a forest, mental health, a
business or an ocean. Such investments may
seem a waste or unnecessary until something
unforeseeable happens, and then we
appreciate the investments we made in
preparing and strengthening that system prior
to the event.
4. We have learned the importance of science
guiding policy. It is not the only factor but is
critical and must be included.
5. We have learned that we need to carefully
watch identified hotspots in case we have
similar viruses being created and in order to
better prevent such pandemics in the future.
6. We have learned the importance of the media
in shaping people’s behavior.
7. We have learned the importance of good
leadership to be well informed, calm, to
consider all impacted and be able to
compromise, where possible.
8. We have learned the importance of continuing
Walking in Sri Lanka
33

to produce our own food, energy, medical
equipment and anything else that we might
not be able to import or access.
9. We have learned the importance of green
spaces and nature to improve our mental and
physical health.
10. We have also learned how quickly the world
can make drastic lifestyle changes and also
pull together resources to fight a threat.
Fun facts about me
• My husband and I were born on the same day.
Based on the official times of our births, I was
born a few hours before him in California,
while he was born in Germany. We realized
that, although on paper I am older than he is,
he was actually born before me.
• If I became an animal I would be a dolphin
because they can swim so efficiently and
gracefully; they always look happy and seem to
be having fun; they are highly intelligent and
social; they live in pods; and finally they live in
the ocean, often near beautiful beaches.
COP 24 march with Stacey
34

PROFILE
Getting
“Schooled” About
Recycling in
Russia
Maria (Masha) Sumina, member of
AWO Moscow, on her recycling
efforts and encouraging others to
do it, too.
I was born in the Soviet Union. My father was a
military engineer, and most of my family worked
for the Russian intelligence services. I was raised
as a normal Soviet girl – an atheist young pioneer;
however, we did spent several years living abroad
in the late 1980s. As exciting as it may seem for a
child from behind the Iron Curtain, life in a Soviet
embassy in Havana was pretty boring. I spent
most of my time reading books about nature and
animals, dreaming about being able to go explore
the wild jungle of the Amazon or help take care of
animals in sanctuaries. On weekends, we often
drove outside the city to have a picnic by the sea,
where I would snorkel for hours, observing the
marine fauna. I loved the pristine beaches, clean
ocean water and the colorful coral reefs of the
Caribbean, teeming with life. I even made friends
with an octopus!
Leaving home
Masha Sumina
Upon returning to Russia, in my last year of high
school, I passed a difficult test and was offered
the chance to spend a year as an exchange
student living with an American family in Texas.
However, I never went, since I was also accepted
to the best Russian university, Moscow State, to
study linguistics.
I regret not taking the gap year because ever
since, I have never had an opportunity to live
abroad for an extended period of time.
Nonetheless, I have always been interested in
foreign cultures, so I was immersed in music,
movies, books and TV shows, especially old ones. I
learned several foreign languages, and shortly
after graduating I started working for
international companies, first as a translator and
later as a project manager.
Life in Moscow
Being a young adult in the late 1990s in Moscow
was an amazing experience. Well-educated
English speaking staff were in high demand by
Western companies which were opening their
offices in Russia, and I had an opportunity to work
with very interesting people in telecom and
service sector.
Exploring a poisonous jellyfish that had been washed up
I met my American husband though a colleague at
work, and although he doesn’t speak much
Russian despite almost 30 years here, we are still
living in Moscow!
35

persuaded the administration to ban most types
of disposable plastic on campus.
Students, parents, teachers and staff are educated
about the importance of sustainability, and the
Committee has a rather popular Facebook page
and blog, publishes weekly updates in the allschool
newsletter, and has representatives in all
school divisions.
Hiking the Camino de Santiago with my family
I remember that back in 2008 I took my toddler to
Chik-Chik, a popular hair salon for kids, and
chatted briefly to the owner, a nice American lady.
This was Masha Megrelis, but I properly met her
more than 10 years later through AWO – and we
became best friends!
My daughter started at the Anglo-American School
of Moscow, an international school, in 2010, but I
didn’t want to return to office work. Instead, I
seized the opportunity to make a meaningful
change at a local level and joined the newly
launched AAS Green Committee.
My work for the environment
As Chairwoman, I am proud that over the years
the Eco Green Committee, which started as a
small group of enthusiastic parents pushing
for a recycling program, has become a prominent
force at our 1200+-student international school,
and an important and indispensable part of
the community.
The Committee supports various aspects of the
school curriculum, organizes afterschool activities
and events, and has been a force behind a vast
number of positive changes in the school
infrastructure, maintenance and operations.
In addition to a fully established and functioning
recycling program for paper, cardboard, plastic,
aluminum cans, batteries, tetrapak packaging,
broken electronics and glass, most of the
bathrooms are now equipped with motion
detectors for light and water, and water fountains
with bottle filling taps. All lights are now energysaving.
Paper towels are made from recycled
paper. We have stopped using disposable plastic
plates at large school events and replaced them
with sturdy but lightweight reusable plates. The
Committee joined efforts with students and
The Eco Green Committee organizes many schoolwide
events and activities, like Eco Movie Day,
lectures by prominent guest speakers, an April
Green Fair, an Upcycling Art Contest, a Yard Sale
and a Farmers’ Market.
Finally, in 2021, the School Board adopted the
Environmental Sustainability Policy which will
serve as a guideline for all aspects of the school’s
operations, from curriculum to maintenance, as
well as holding all stakeholders accountable on
the path towards creating an environmentally
sustainable school.
Recycling in Russia
One of the continuous challenges I have faced in
my role as the Green Committee Chairwoman has
been convincing the community that we do
actually recycle at AAS, that a recycling industry
does actually exist in Russia and that we are not
throwing all of our sorted materials into the trash.
People have doubts that Russia even has the
infrastructure for recycling. (It does!)
In fact, many people do not realize that it is
actually in the West that recycling has become a
global mystification. For decades, people have
been brainwashed to believe that once they throw
their disposable plastic bottle into the appropriate
bin, they can pat themselves on the back and
consider their job of saving the environment done,
and they can go back to consuming more
disposables. Sadly, in many cases, the collected
materials are, at best, incinerated for energy, or
more often than not, shipped to developing
countries where they will remain in landfills or
float into the ocean. (Read more here)
In Russia, on the other hand, waste collection and
sorting is organized in very few cities, but where it
exists, it is the real deal: you can find out exactly
where your plastic bottle or battery will be
recycled and trace its path from the bin to the
sorting facility to the local factory.
Yes, Russian landfills occupy a territory equal to
the size of Switzerland, but we still have a chance
to build a sustainable, locally-operating waste
36

2018, I realized that I had too many clothes and
made an oath not to buy a single item of clothing
for year. (It wasn’t even hard because I rediscovered
many things I’d forgotten I owned and
created new combinations). I have been fostering
and training homeless dogs because well-adjusted
animals have a better chance to be adopted and
fit in well in a new family.
The importance of the environment
Representing the Green Committee at an Open House
management industry, capitalizing on the Soviet
tradition of recycling valuable materials, as there
is both the supply and the market for it.
Getting started as a recycler
Growing up in the Soviet Union, we all reduced,
reused and recycled out of necessity, before there
was a word for it. Washing aluminum foil and
plastic bags, darning stockings, making your own
LP player from spare parts (like my dad made me),
passing on clothes and prams from one
generation of kids to the next. It was a normal way
to live. With the collapse of the Soviet Union came
prosperity, and all that re-fixing, re-washing and
renewing was forgotten like a bad dream. People
wanted to be wasteful because wasting signified
affluence. Throwing things away meant that
there'd always be enough.
But somehow I never went through that phase.
Without giving it much thought, I just never liked
to be wasteful. Even as a single adult with a decent
income, I enjoyed fixing my clothes, creating
gourmet masterpieces from leftovers, and
donating clothes and appliances rather than
throwing them away, but I never really thought
about it on a conscious level.
Only many years later was I able to formulate my
ideal way of living in concrete words: leaving the
world a better place by reusing rather than
wasting things.
Personal responsibility and trying to minimize
one’s individual footprint is very important, but I
firmly support Greta Thunberg when it comes to
demanding accountability from governments and
industry. I think activists who push for global
change are the heroes of our time, because they
often endanger their lives, as big corporations and
populist governments are still reluctant to assume
responsibility for the damage they are causing to
the environment. There is a firm scientific
consensus on anthropogenic climate change, but
we are struggling to accept the fact that if we want
our civilization to continue beyond the 21st
century, world economics will have to be
drastically transformed. Having reaped
megaprofits in the 20th century, now
governments and enterprises need to make some
hard and unpopular choices in order to save what
is left of the ecosystems.
I know this change will be tough, because even on
the small scale of one international school, the
adoption of an Environmental Sustainability Policy
was a long and arduous process. But I pushed for
it because in the end this is the only way to turn
miscellaneous uncoordinated initiatives into a
sustainable system that is embedded into the very
core of the school’s operations. I firmly believe
that all institutions, from governments to
preschools, need to adopt a sustainability policy
and be held accountable for its execution.
Individual change is important, but we desperately
need global systemic changes to save our planet.
I started recycling because I didn’t want to
contribute to ever-growing landfills. I buy as much
as I can second-hand in order to consume fewer
resources. I actively try to find a new home for my
unwanted things so that they are appreciated and
used again. (Masha M.’s second-hand sale group is
magical for that!) I started two types of
composting systems because I hated food waste
(yes, I have a worm bin in my city apartment). In
Collecting trash in the local forest
37

somehow the world is in denial about it. With a
magic wand, I would make journalists,
governments and normal people listen to
scientists and face the unpleasant truth that our
civilization as we know it may cease to exist very
soon unless we try to reverse the damage we are
doing to the planet.
The future
Biking in a national park
Key environment issues today
Ocean pollution and decline in marine biodiversity
are the most worrisome issues nowadays because
very few people are talking about them. Oceans
play in an immense role in regulating climate, and
about half of the Earth’s oxygen is produced by
plankton. There is a somewhat controversial but
eye-opening movie called Seaspiracy (2021,
Netflix) about the collapse of the oceanic
ecosystems due to oxygen depletion, pole melting,
change of currents, but mostly overfishing and
pollution, which will lead to unforeseeable and
irreversible catastrophic consequences, and yet
One of the biggest blows we have all suffered was
the COVID-related tsunami of disposable items.
Single-use masks, plates and silverware were
everywhere in 2020; the AAS was no exception. I
do hope that most organizations and individuals
will shift back to reusable items quickly.
On the other hand, travel, especially air travel, has
dropped dramatically, and planes, along with cars,
are the most polluting means of transport. Thanks
to advances in technology, people have
discovered that most meetings do not need to be
held in person.
Another thing I would like to happen is that my
family finally accept that I do not want any
presents, especially new things. It is very hard and
counterintuitive for most people NOT to buy gifts.
I would appreciate a donation in my name, a preloved
book or an experience that we as a family
can enjoy together.
38

FEATURE
”I Am Who I Am Today Because of
the Choices I Made Yesterday”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Suzana Zhuta, member of AWC Hamburg, believes in the importance
of clean energy.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal
#7: Affordable and clean energy.
Clean energy is available for free from Mother
Nature. When we harness it in increasing
quantities, we not only contribute to serving the
world's energy needs, but we also help restore
our environment. Clean energy is inexhaustible.
This goal can transform our world. I own a
renewable energy company. I not only support
this goal, but I live it.
The main motivation for starting a sustainable
energy company was my two daughters. There is
no way around it: as a mother you are responsible
for every action you take. There is no time to
waste; every day we must live by example and, in
my opinion, doing something for the planet is the
biggest responsibility we have. Sustainability is an
extremely urgent and universal concern. We have
to act now and go forward.
The company’s name, Forward Energie, was
chosen in order to explain where we are headed.
We are a green tech energy provider based in
Hamburg’s HafenCity, offering sustainable and
green power nationwide.
As an American moving to Germany, I was
introduced to a new way of life. Here everyone is
Planting trees
much more aware and efficient with the way they
live. Through the years, I realized what advantages
Germans had in reference to the rest of the world.
Their sustainability solutions were always very
advanced, but that was not enough.
The German energy approach is very
conservative. When I moved to Germany, I found
that energy is readily available, but you are
charged a very high monthly rate per usage, and
the energy is not renewable. This is not the way to
go. I had to find a new approach. The increasing
digitalization of many areas of life is only just
beginning. Because the existing system in
Germany is outmoded and problematic, we at
Forward Energie decided to offer a completely
new approach. We are the antithesis of the classic,
long-established energy provider! We combine
today's technology and our expertise to keep
processes effective and lean.
For me it is important to be sustainable, not just
by using green energy but also by being
economical. That’s why Forward Energie created
the Energy Smart Box, enabling the consumer to
see and engage with the energy that they are
consuming in their home.
My kids planting trees!
The Smart Box is a digital device that reads a
customer‘s electricity meter and sends
39

Information from the Smart Box
data to their smartphone, where it is managed via
an app. The benefit of the Smart Box is
continuous, clear monitoring of energy
consumption, which enables the customer to
identify areas of energy-saving potential.
Our target group’s interest in ‘‘smart‘‘
consumption monitoring was already very high,
and the benefits of the system were immediately
evident to them. Our customers using the Smart
Box app have been very happy with the system.
The Smart Box enables both the customer and
Forward Energie to record energy consumption
data in real time and use it intelligently. There are
considerable advantages to this for both sides.
In the future, only green electricity and green gas
will be sold. Our company already has several
years of experience here. The strong trend toward
sustainable products will also continue to
determine the electricity market. This is already
well-established for private consumers, and there
is a lot of potential for small and medium-size
companies in this area too.
The essential building blocks of the new business
model are digital and sustainable. Both these
qualities will have increasing urgency in people’s
lives in the decades to come. With our emphasis
on these features, we have the best chance for a
growing, successful market presence.
You can visit us in person at our Concept Energy
store in HafenCity or you can reach us 24/7
through our digital home, www.forwardenergie.de
Suzana Zhuta holds a Bachelor of Science in
Accounting from Teiyko Post University in
Connecticut, USA. During and after her studies,
which she completed in 2003, she held key roles in
finance and business administration both in the
field of aviation and at the multinational
technology company International Business
Machines Corp. (IBM).
As a businesswoman and entrepreneur, Suzana has
vast experience in founding, building and running
companies. In 2016, her belief that the world
should prepare for a future of renewable energy
burgeoned into a business idea: she founded
Forward Energie with her husband and partner,
Lulzim Zhuta. Suzana is managing director of the
Hamburg-based green energy supplier.
She also lends her managerial skills to the nonprofit
sector as vice president of the
Amerikazentrum Hamburg e.V., a bi-national
cultural institute that supports German-American
educational and cultural exchange through its
work. Suzana lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her
husband and their two children.
We live in a free world, one where we think we
can make decisions for a better world, and yet we
are not moving forward as fast as our technology.
The future of the energy market will have to be
both digital and sustainable.
40

FEATURE
A Club Inspires: AWC Denmark
Mary Stewart Burgher, Club President and Chair of FAWCO’s US
Voting Committee, introduces her club to us. AWC Denmark is
one of seven clubs in FAWCO’s Region 2.
When and why was your
club started, and by
whom?
Ruth Bryan Owen,
Democratic
Congresswoman and
Ambassador to Denmark
appointed by FDR – also the
daughter of William
Jennings Bryan – founded
AWC Denmark in 1934 to
help bring Americans and
Danes together. The club
Mary Stewart Burgher still does that today, though
we focus on doing it
through “fun, friendship and philanthropy”. We
are proud to tell you we joined FAWCO in our
founding year.
How does the club run?
We have a small elected Board, but also some
dedicated volunteers – the kind of people who
turn up every time help is needed. I don’t
remember ever having seen more than one
nominee for a Board position.
What kind of events do you have in your club?
Our annual events usually involve food: a 4 th of
July barbecue, a Thanksgiving potluck and a
Chinese New Year’s dim sum lunch. Most interest
groups tackle the usual subjects – books, various
crafts, walking, movies, etc. – and meet monthly.
We also run vigorous voter registration and
assistance programs with other volunteers in the
US community and usually in cooperation with the
Our founder is renowned among us for having
done the opposite of most of our members;
instead of meeting a dashing Dane and moving to
Denmark, she met a dashing Dane in Copenhagen
(in the King’s Life Guard), married him – becoming
Ruth Bryan Owen Rohde – and took him to the US.
How many members do you have, and what
are their nationalities?
We are about 100, with a pretty even mix of
Americans and other nationalities, including
Danes. Before the reductions in US
businesspeople sent overseas, we used to be
about 50–50 “transients” and “lifers” – now we’re
nearly all lifers: people who came to Denmark for
love and/or work, put down roots and stayed.
A few years ago, we decided to admit men as
associate members, and there are currently
around five. Some are widowers of Danish AWC
members and some are just part of the US
community in Denmark. Any man who’s willing to
pay his dues and tell people that he’s a member of
the American Women’s Club is the kind of man I
can admire.
Members of AWC Denmark
US Embassy, in every year with US elections. We
also distribute useful information, as we can, on
US tax requirements. New in 2021 is the Foodies,
which visit various restaurants – now that we can
get back into them. The Board organizes the
annual events and interested members run the
interest groups.
41

eautiful and/or interesting part of Copenhagen
that may be new to them. Routes range from the
Green Path (part of a 40-km route for cyclists and
pedestrains) to a pre-Halloween tour of the
historic Assistens Cemetery. Several features
always appear: exercise, good company and hot
drinks at the end of each walk.
Drawing by Heather Spears
Do you raise money for any particular cause?
Having given an annual Philanthropy Award for
many years to a wide range of projects (focused
on women, children, health, disability, etc.) in and
around Copenhagen, we have focused in the last
few years on building long-term relationships with
a few: a meeting place/café to help immigrants
integrate into Danish life, a safe house for sexually
trafficked people and a soup kitchen for homeless
people run by the Missionaries of Charity. We also
give scholarships to Danish women for study in
the US and a Cultural Award, every three years.
The last winner of our Cultural Award was one of
our own members, Heather Spears, a skilled artist
and writer whose work included making portraits
of premature and stillborn babies at the national
hospital in Denmark.
We raise the money by selling jewelry, some
handmade and some used, and holding raffles
and receiving donations at events, etc. Flea
markets are so common in Denmark that we
stopped holding our bazaar some years ago.
We focus on charities that help immigrants
because most of us are immigrants, and also on
the needy because most of us have more than
enough ourselves.
Another anti-isolation measure was the opening of
the AWC Denmark Coffeeshop during the
lockdown: a private Facebook group for members
and friends to hang out, and share photos and fun
things (lots of cat jokes and animal videos). We
also use it to list and advertise club events, and
cultural opportunities in Copenhagen. (The
Coffeeshop appears to have boosted
membership, too!)
What else would you like us to know about
your club?
We have always had a serious case of FAWCO
fever and enjoy participating in its activities,
fundraising and charitable work. The Target
Project has always attracted interest in our club,
and we have been proud to have members’
children receive scholarships and to nominate
projects that received development grants.
Also, though we don’t raise money, we’ve much
enjoyed two other chartable projects: 1) making
pillow cases and stuffing pillows for the Heart
Pillow project in Denmark (http://heartpillow.dk) –
the project that introduced heart pillow work to
FAWCO, by the way – and 2) collecting quality used
English books for use in schools in Ghana. For the
book drives, we join other groups in Copenhagen,
and collect books for pick-up by Embassy staff.
For the heart pillows, we held small outdoor
stuffing events during the lockdown/restrictions,
but were happy also to join lots of other groups to
participate in a Pink Saturday (Lyserød Lørdag)
event to raise money for the national anti-cancer
movement. In addition to stuffing pillows, one of
our members made and donated 100 pillowcases!
What was your own favorite activity last year ?
There are several! We don’t hold a Christmas party
– everyone in Denmark is awash with Christmas
parties connected with their jobs, families and
other activity groups. We hold a gift-wrapping
party for clients of the charities we support. The
aim is to collect and wrap enough toiletries and
clothing items, so that every resident of the safe
house or visitor to the soup kitchen, respectively,
has a (useful but enjoyable) personal gift to open
for the holidays. Last year, we collected and
wrapped over 200 gifts. Then we eat pizza, not
Christmas treats.
Also we started a new activity in 2020 to enable
members to get together safely during and after
lockdown: the monthly Our Secrets walk. Every
month, a member guides a group through a
Pillow stuffing
42

See our public Facebook group (https://
www.facebook.com/groups/296190131659089)
for short texts with photos about Pink Saturday,
the book drive and pillow stuffing, etc.
freezing temperatures and getting too close to the
thousands of other Copenhageners participating.
The Festival combines a lot of the best things
about Copenhagen: using the darkest month of
the year to enable people to exercise and enjoy
artworks and each other’s company, safely and for
free. We plan to go again in 2022.
What are a few undiscovered gems in your city
and/or country?
Well, any park; most historic and tourist sites are
pretty well known. My favorites are H.C. Ørsted
park and the King’s Garden (Kongens Have), smack
in the middle of town. Both have gorgeous trees
and flowers, beautiful water features (with swans),
lots of nice places to sit with a friend and enjoy
the views, and good cafés.
The H.C. Ørsted park
Tell us a little about your city and country in
general
Sorry to get all Danny Kaye about it, but
Copenhagen really is wonderful: beautiful and
historic, but also modern and exciting, full of
cultural activities and opportunities to enjoy
nature. It has excellent public transport and is
very safe to walk or cycle in.
The club put together a group to enjoy the 2021
Copenhagen Light Festival and eight women
wandered all around the central city at night,
looking at the various outdoor light installations
without worrying about anything other than the
2022 will be big year in Denmark, as it’s Queen
Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee: celebrating her 50
years as monarch. We plan to make a group visit
to an exhibition of her jewelry at the Amalienborg
Palace Museum. That’s just one of dozens of
exhibitions and hundreds of events planned all
over the country.
Any unusual/interesting traits of the locals?
Santa is not a really big deal in a Danish
Christmas; elves (nisser) are a much older and
more important tradition. Everyone knows what
nisser are like: they’re tiny people who wear red
conical hats (nissehuer) and eat rice pudding (and
make trouble if they don’t get it). There’s a large
bronze statue of the Nile River and its 15
tributaries at the end of Queen Louise’s Bridge,
which crosses one of the artificial lakes that mark
the boundary between central Copenhagen and
the rest of the city. Every year, some kind soul
puts nissehuer on every one of the Nile’s children,
and everyone else knows it’s Christmas time.
The statue with the Nile’s children
43

One thing an American has to get used to: Danes
have very small personal spaces. Even trying to
social distance, Danes usually stand closer to
others – in stores, queues and crowds – than is
normal for Americans.
Danes can be hard to form relationships with –
coming from such a small country, most of them
still know/are friends with people from their
kindergarten/primary school/high-school/
university classes. Other than marrying/living with/
giving birth to one, the best way to get to know
them is to take a class on any subject with them,
or join a sports team.
Denmark has been a great place to live through
COVID: Danes have a strong sense of social
responsibility and considerable trust in their
government, arising from its good performance
and many Danes’ active participation in political
life. So when the government sets rules and gives
advice, people tend to follow them, and think
seriously about what they can do to help the
whole society get through the crisis.
On a Secrets Walk
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44

PROFILE
“Containing” the
Waste Problem
Alexandra Vo, member of FAUSA
and, from March 2022, the new
FAWCO Target 5 (Environment)
Chairperson, tells us about her
determination to use less plastic.
Alexandra Vo
I am the seventh of eight children born in Vietnam
and became a refugee at six years old when
Saigon (South Vietnam’s capital) fell to the North
Vietnamese army in April 1975. My parents told
me that the army was marching into the city and
bullets were flying in the streets when they
escaped with me and my three-year-old sister. At
this point, they had already sent off the older six
children, ages ranging from 7 to 18 years old, in
two separate groups with relatives.
My parents, sister and I fled as “boat people”
because the American army had already
evacuated and the only way to escape was by
boat. We were lucky in that my mother was well
connected enough to know someone with one of
the few remaining boats. And we left early
enough that the American aircraft carriers were
still waiting in international waters, just beyond
Me as a little girl
Vietnam's border, to pick us and others up. We
were among the first wave of Vietnamese
refugees. Later, many boat people would perish
or be captured by pirates.
I can’t imagine the terror my parents must have
felt but, as a young child at the time, I only have a
few snapshot memories: being on the boat eating
dry ramen noodles and vomiting; stepping onto
the aircraft carrier with my bare feet and feeling
the burning heat; tasting my first soda from a
vending machine in the hangar. We eventually
ended up in refugee camps on Wake Island and
Guam where we reunited with the rest of the
family, although we would again be split up when
sponsorships to the USA came through.
Early life in the USA
We relocated to several Army bases, including
Camp Pendleton in CA. Finally, my father
requested resettlement in MD so we could be
close to Washington DC and the President of the
United States. I never did ask why that was
important but I can understand that, having fled
one capital, my father wanted to be close to
another to understand the pulse of that new
country. Thus we were sponsored by a Methodist
church, which found us a rental home on a
fantastically diverse street with German, Greek
and Nicaraguan immigrants.
Looking back, I realized that my parents didn’t talk
much about that time or their earlier life in
Vietnam, which I later learned was one of wealth
and privilege. I guess they were just too busy
trying to survive in the USA, working multiple jobs.
It was only as a young adult that I started asking
them questions.
45

In those early years we couldn’t afford to take
vacations so I spent the summers at my father’s
bicycle shop or at the local libraries reading books.
I didn’t go to school dances or other events. We
mostly attended Vietnamese social events or
otherwise ate at home. I remember that my
brother would occasionally bring home French
fries from his job at McDonald’s and that was such
a treat.
Leaving home
When I went to Yale to study philosophy, the
world suddenly opened up. For one thing, I had to
learn how to use a fork and knife properly. Up
until then, I mostly used chopsticks. I took a junior
year abroad to Paris, where I had many relatives,
and soaked up the culture that enmeshed with my
own. Vietnam, being a former colony of France,
and my father's family being particularly well
known, meant that my father had a French
baccalaureate degree from Saigon and studied
electrical engineering in Paris along with his
siblings. Some of his siblings never actually ever
returned home.
Ironically, it was only after leaving my own home
in MD that I began to explore my roots as a
Vietnamese. In high school, the war was not even
mentioned. Until college, Vietnam felt like a taboo
topic; nobody talked about it and so it became
internalized as guilt for being Vietnamese and
causing so much horror.
At Yale, I found my people in the Vietnamese
student club and discovered I had a knack for
recreating my mom’s home cooking. During one
summer, I interned at the Indochinese Resource
Action Center (IRAC), now renamed SEARAC
(Southeast Asia Resource Center), where I wrote a
letter, co-signed by the local NAACP chapter, on its
behalf decrying the biased behavior of the
Milwaukee Police Department, which returned an
escaped Cambodian child back to Jeffrey Dahmer,
a white man, who would later kill and eat him.
Just as important was my exposure to the work of
human rights advocacy for Southeast Asian
refugees and learning the concept of “sympathy
fatigue” which would rear its head again and
again, with other refugees.
Another important discovery at college was
learning to fence, which was a walk-on sport back
then and something I had always wanted to do.
Actually, I was a terrible fencer but being on the
team was how I met my future husband. Philip
was an experienced fencer whose family is
Belgian. He’s a New Yorker who has lived and
traveled abroad, loved the sciences, skied and ate
sushi! He is my total opposite but a kindred spirit
for our love of food and travel.
Starting work after college
After Yale, I was tempted by the connection I
made at IRAC to join one of Geneva’s United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
teams. Alas, Philip was pursuing his MD/PhD in
New York City, so instead, I chose to stay and
marry him and follow corporate life by working
with Citibank and Colgate-Palmolive. Later, we
moved to Boston where Philip started his medical
residency and where my parents had moved. We
started our family and I started a successful
catering business serving lunches to the many
hospitals there.
Life has a way of circling back on itself because we
seek to maintain both our roots and passion. In
2014, we took a sabbatical year and moved our
young family to Paris where I joined AWG Paris
and had the best time exploring the city of lights.
But the circle started with Philip’s mother who was
a member in the late 70s and introduced me to
AWG Paris. Of course, once I returned to the USA,
AWG connected me to FAUSA and eventually
FAWCO. When we moved to New York, I happened
to see a post on FAWCO’s Facebook page about
our work with the UN and, just like that, I got back
to the work I was passionate about in my college
days. Full circle.
Protecting the environment
My Vietnamese wedding
46
Protecting our environment has so many long
reaching ramifications. Pollution waste is an
obvious detriment to our environment,
endangering our water source and marine life.
However, it’s not just about maintaining the
biological diversity of this planet in the form of
saving endangered animals and plants. It’s about
understanding how interdependent we are as one
species with others. Animals are not just
curiosities in zoos; they actually play important
roles in Earth’s balance from the smallest insect to
the tallest giraffe. We all understand the roles of
bees to pollinate crops. But wolves are important
too. They keep down the deer population which in
turn keeps them grazing on higher ground, which
in turn encourages more plants at the river banks,
which in turn causes less soil erosion for healthier
rivers and life under water.

Protecting our environment means reevaluating
how and what we eat. Too much livestock
encourages the destruction of forests for grazing
land while raising the level of methane gas, a key
contributor to the greenhouse effect and the
warming of our planet. Farming just one crop over
and over again destroys the soil. Transporting
food long distances to our supermarkets increases
our carbon footprint. In the US, we waste a
staggering 40% of our food which ends up in trash
heaps and breaks down into methane gas.
Protecting the environment means protecting
living in harmony with nature, protecting
ourselves and our neighbors and ensuring a
beautiful future.
Getting involved
I feel so strongly about environmental causes that
you would think that I’ve had a long running
passion in the area. Actually, it only started a little
over six years ago.
I think being involved in environmental issues is
somewhat of a luxury. Certainly, as refugees, my
parents didn’t have the time to think about
reducing plastic use or saving endangered species
or even the time to learn about them. They can’t
pass along to me what they didn’t know.
This is, to some extent, true for developing
countries which are just fighting to provide basic
needs for their citizens. Those ubiquitous sachet
drinks, for instance, are affordable but not
recyclable so they litter the once beautiful beaches
of island nations like the Philippines. We have to
ask ourselves whether the sachets are the fault of
the users or the companies who profit from selling
them. Like so many of us, I am the product of my
manufactured environment. How many of us used
straws in restaurants to drink water when we
drink straight from a glass at home – and not
question it?
My family went through a phase when my children
were very young when we received so many gifts
Me at the UN
for their birthdays and at Christmas, year after
year. We eventually accumulated bags of barely
used stuffed animals and boxes of plastic toys that
even the thrift shops do not want. Finally, when
we could afford a home in a nicer neighborhood
with tree-shaded streets, it also came with a wider
community that had the luxury to worry about
their natural environment and that’s when my
education started. Also, life had slowed a bit with
my children now older so I could finally take a
breath and take stock. I think nature is so
beneficial to our well-being that we all have an
affinity to it.
A love for growing things
What my parents did instill in me was a love of
growing things. Growing up, we would grow
tomatoes and fruit trees and herbs. Although I
have no formal education or training in
environmental issues, I had self-interest and
curiosity. My interest did not start with some
esoteric goals to save the planet. My self-interest
simply means staring out of my windows and
seeing my magnificent maple tree or watching
birds at the feeders and then being interested in
keeping alive what gives me pleasure. Growing my
herbs made me aware of pesticides. Getting a dog
made me think about the possible link between
dog cancers and chemicals to beautify the lawns.
This led me to join a local nature group on
Facebook where I learned so much about the
importance of native plants and our wild animals.
Yeah for opossums who eat ticks! I also learned to
question why we spend so much time and money
to bag fall leaves when we could leave them in a
“wild section” and they would provide water and
nutrients back into the soil as well as sheltering
beneficial insects. I believe we are all naturalists.
Environmental work for FAWCO
With my dog
My local community woke me up to
environmental concerns and my work at FAWCO
on the Environment Team and the SDG Awareness
Team is 1) to learn more and 2) not so much
educate, but make connections with members.
47

For example, #FAWCOtrees is an initiative to
connect our members to the simple pleasure of
trees from all over the globe. Once the connection
is made, I hope the curiosity will take care of the
rest, whether that is a deeper interest in nature or
planting trees or eating less meat or donating to a
charity. I write articles about plastic pollution with
the hope that they will inspire readers to be more
interested in the choices they have to make the
world better.
The biggest challenge in advocating for the
environment is making it relatable, not
overwhelming and depressing. How can I get
readers to be interested in something that they do
not see in their daily lives? The Great Pacific
Garbage Patch is a massive island of nonbiodegradable
plastic trash about three times the
size of France. It is strangling marine life and
breaking down into micro-plastic that's ending up
in our food sources. And yet it is often the case
that out of sight is out of mind. The problem also
seems insurmountable; what can we possibly do
about it? My last article for FAWCO is my attempt
at reducing the big issue down to something that
we can all do at home while taking the pressure
off to do it perfectly. Just start!
I think my biggest successful event was actually
the SDG Social Hour event in September 2021
produced by the SDG Awareness Team. We
showcased three women who work towards the
Sustainable Goals while also tackling the waste
problem. Seeing real women speaking about their
passion was relatable and inspirational.
At CSW63, in New York
Plastic waste
As you can now guess, the biggest environmental
concern for me is the plastic waste problem.
What’s even more infuriating is that I live in the
country that produces the most plastic waste in
the world, the USA.
The pandemic has only exacerbated the problem
with disposable masks, hospital gowns and
respirator parts thrown out by the millions on a
daily basis. None of them recyclable. Even
supposedly recyclable products like take-away
With my family
coffee cups are only recycled 0.25% of the time in
the UK, because few recycling plants are equipped
to separate the plastic coating from the paper.
However, I think one of the upsides of the
pandemic was that it made us pause. Not only did
we stop to read up on social justice issues, but we
took walks and reconnected with nature. We said
to ourselves, we didn’t have to continue the way
we were.
Enormous as the plastic problem is, this is one
area where the average consumer can make a
difference by starting at home. Make your own
coffee. Bring your own mugs if possible. Refuse
plastic! Each of us refusing plastic together will
amount to millions of people refusing the easy
and wasteful way. Only then will we be calling the
shots and not the manufacturers.
One point I made in my article Refusing Plastic is
that we have to circle back to our parents’
generation. My parents may not have had the
time to learn about the environmental impact of
easy consumption, but they were frugal and didn’t
succumb to take-outs or fast fashion. They never
wasted food. Once, my mother opened my
cupboard and saw my stack of take-out
containers. To me, the stack represented my guilt
if I just threw it out, while my mother saw it as my
eating out too much. But actually both views are
about the same thing, just seen at different
angles. If I had eaten out less then I wouldn’t have
had that stack. Theirs was the original generation
of repurpose and reuse. I remember my mother
reusing baby food jars to put her homemade
yogurts in.
Fun fact about me
Not many people know that I am a descendent of
the last royal dynasty of Vietnam, the Nguyen
dynasty. My father’s mother had the title of
“princess” even though we are quite far removed
from the last Nguyen Emperor, Bảo Đại, who
abdicated in 1945.
It’s not exactly something that is relevant to my
everyday life. I first discovered this connection
when I got married and was given a translated
copy of my grandmother’s poem on how to be a
good wife.
48

Persistence
Builds a
Composting
Business in
Morocco
Rajea Benkirane Alami, member
of AIWC Casablanca, believes
ecologically friendly compost is
the way to go.
I was born in Fez, Morocco and have lived in this
country my whole life. I am married and have
one daughter.
My professional and business career has had its
ups and downs. I started my first ecologicallyoriented
business, Sotrafum, in 1991; its focus
was on the treatment of organic residues.
Soil in Morocco
PROFILE
Morocco is an agricultural country, and its soil has
been depleted by the overuse of chemical
fertilizers. So a return to the traditional use of
manure and compost protects its ecosystem and
makes the country’s agriculture more resilient.
Composting reduces pathogenic waste in the soil
and prevents manure slurry from leaching into
the water table. It produces ecologically friendly
compost which restructures the soil chemically
and biologically. Compost also traps CO², in the
soil itself.
Unfortunately, this first venture failed in 1993.
Even though the equipment had been bought
from a company in Sweden, a leading country in
environmental protection, this sophisticated
technology did not suit conditions in Morocco.
In that same year, fate stepped in. With a handful
of other women, I started the association Espod,
with the aim of providing training for young
women in difficult circumstances to learn incomegenerating
trades.
When Espod attended a seminar held by the
Canadian International Development Agency
(ACDI) that year, I spoke about the failure of
Sotrafum. I told the agency the reasons why my
idea of treating manure in Morocco would help
rebuild the soil depleted by chemical fertilizers.
The big question was how to gain the know-how
to do this successfully so that everyone could use
compost in the soil.
I wanted to invest in environmental protection
and the farming sector. Fortunately they decided
that I was an ideal candidate for training in this
field, and my application was accepted.
The training program in composting technology
and business management lasted from 1993 to
1998. It was hard, but I stayed the course and
learned a trade that I previously knew little about.
I learned how to manage a business and develop
the tools needed to win large market shares in a
traditionally male-dominated sector.
Starting again
Rajae Benkirane Alami
Firmly believing in my idea, in 1996, I formed my
second company, Ecologie-Fertilisation or
Ecofertil, with the help of the Canadian backer.
With King Mohamed VI in 2006
49

The hardest thing to do was to start again from
scratch, launch a new production unit and forget
the first failure. With my husband Azzedine 100%
behind me, I looked for a plot of land suitable for
building a platform for the composting equipment
we needed.
The Canadian composting equipment we had
before did not suit the rocky soil or the hot
climate. Azzedine, who had experience as general
manager of a truck assembly company, had the
excellent idea of building a workshop to make all
the composting equipment on-site in Morocco.
Once the various administrative formalities for the
company were all completed, the banks had to be
convinced to back the venture again. So I had to
provide a detailed, well-prepared business plan
for the new company.
While waiting for the bank to agree to the loan, I
managed to persuade a major distributor to try
the compost on their farms. Luckily, the results of
the composting were carefully monitored on the
different crops. The results were excellent, and a
distribution partnership was signed. Not only that,
the distributor agreed to pay for the orders in
advance while Ecofertil waited for the bank loan to
come through!
With my daughter, Mouna
In 2014, after two years of negotiations, the
company was finally able to sign a 17-year lease
for agricultural land to expand the company.
I’ve recently decided to hand over the reins of the
company to my daughter Mouna, who is as
passionate about the environment as I am.
Ecofertil is going strong today and making a
valuable contribution to Morocco’s green future.
I am a member of a number of women’s and
environmental associations, including ESPOD (to
help train young women entrepreneurs), AFAK
(Moroccan association for good citizenship and
development) and T&H (an agro-ecological
association).
In 2010, I became a founding member of the
FIMABIO (Moroccan organic production
federation). Within these associations, I have
taken part in events in Morocco and abroad and
also with organizations such as USAID and the
Canadian International Development Agency.
Publicity for Ecofertil Morocco
It was a long, hard journey for me to demonstrate
our abilities and to get everybody on board in the
creation of this new company.
The media started to show an interest in compost,
and I took part in lots of workshops, round tables,
interviews and entrepreneurial competitions, both
nationally and internationally.
I had a stand at all the regional fairs in Morocco to
promote the company and increase its market
share. At the first Meknes agricultural show in
2006, the Ecofertil stand was visited by HM King
Mohamed VI, who took an interest in the compost
and asked for the catalog. You can imagine how
proud I felt!
Ecofertil was finally creating its place on the
market, and I was even nominated for the 2M
Maroc TV channel’s Khemissa trophy.
Recently I have been supporting AIWC
Casablanca’s pilot project to plant trees in the
urban community. AIWCC’s first tree-planting
action was in an orphanage and at the
headquarters of an association for visually
impaired young people. I helped source all the
trees free of charge from a local chain of
nurseries. I think that planting trees in places like
orphanages, associations for children and schools
not only helps the environment but also raises
young people’s awareness of the importance of
trees, water and the natural environment.
Planting trees with AIWCC
50

FEATURE
Inspiring Reads:
Exiled South
FAUSA member, Harriet Cannon, is a writer
with roots in South Carolina. As a
psychotherapist, she served as a consultant to
The Boeing Company, International Schools
and worked for the US State Department in
Chile. Harriet is co-author of Mixed Blessings: A
Guide to Multicultural and Multiethnic
Relationships. Exiled South is her debut novel.
Harriet and her husband now live on the
Olympic Peninsula in Washington and have
two grown children.
For our inaugural Inspiring Reads feature, the
Inspiring Women team interviewed Harriet about
her new book Exiled South.
What was your inspiration for the book? I have
Southern roots and grew up listening to my
elders’ tall tales about the Revolutionary War hero
Francis Marion, “the swamp fox”, and ancestor
blockade runners during the Civil War. While living
in Chile I stumbled on the story of The
Confederados, a colony of Southerners who
immigrated to Brazil after losing their citizenship
and land in 1865. The seeds of my novel, Exiled
South, were planted.
How long did it take you to write the book? I
began serious research 10 years ago on the
Confederados out of curiosity. I started writing the
dual time, contemporary and nineteenth century
novel about five years ago.
What kind of research do you do, and how long
do you spend researching before beginning a
book? I believe novelist Elizabeth George gives
the best advice. If you want your novel to play to a
sophisticated audience, go to the location where it
takes place and spend quality time there, not just
a day or a week. Consult maps, talk to the elders,
and gather stories.
For Exiled South, the locations I used are all places
where I have spent weeks, months and in some
cases years. The contemporary character
development wasn’t as challenging as the
nineteenth century characters, who took research
and work getting into the heads of those who
lived mid nineteenth century.
Research for my nineteenth century protagonist, a
nurse and herbalist, really drew me in. I found the
most fascinating articles and books about
medicine of the era and the philosophy around
healing arts. For my blockade runner protagonist
in the Civil War era, maps of the era, interviews
with historians, a naval architect husband, and a
couple of trips to Scotland, one of which was in
2018 when I was well into writing the novel.
What is the most important thing you want
readers to take from your book? That we are all
connected in ways we least expect.
When did you start writing? I am dyslexic and
didn’t read for pleasure until I was in my teens.
The Fonz, Henry Winkler from the TV show, Happy
Days, is my hero for outing his learning disability
and writing children’s books about it. I have ways
of compensating. I always have someone
proofread my work before it goes out and I spent
30 years writing professionally as a
psychotherapist. I started writing fiction, short
stories, essays, about 10 years ago.
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Maybe Varina by Charles Frazier or Hieroglyphics
by Jill McCorkle.
What is your favorite childhood book? My
mother had a wonderful voice and used to read to
my brothers and me from Kipling. I especially
loved The Jungle Book. As I said before, I didn’t
read for pleasure as a child. I have horrible
memories of being called lazy (my teachers could
tell I wasn’t mentally challenged) and being in the
“slow” reading groups in grade school.
Fortunately, like most dyslexic people of my
generation, you find tricks to compensate and the
reading gets easier.
What are you reading now? I always read two or
three books at the same time. I know, kinda
crazy. The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd, A Land
51

More Kind than Home, Wiley Cash, Death at a
Séance, Carolyn Wilkins.
Give us a short summary of the book: Lizbeth
Gordon, a school counselor and master of
facilitating conflict in everyone’s life but her own,
returns home to South Carolina after her
husband’s sudden death. She seeks solace
walking the winter beach, but peace eludes her.
An elderly aunt has half told family stories about
ancestors: a civil war blockade runner hunted
as a traitor after the Civil War, his sister and her
mixed-race daughter.
Tentacles of the past reach across the continents
when Lizbeth takes a job in Rio de Janeiro and
meets multiethnic descendants of exiled
confederates with her surname. Lizbeth becomes
determined to fully discover – and to ultimately
come to terms with – her ancestral history.
Can the keys she finds to generations-long secrets
open a path to reconciliation and healing?
“Exiled South gives readers just what they want
from a historical, yet superbly contemporary,
novel: stay-up-until-the-sun-comes-up reading.” –
Mary Lou Sanelli, Author of Every Little Thing
“Exiled South rips the cover off traditional
Southern sagas and takes you on a riveting
international journey exploring the hidden trauma
and deep wounds of three generations of
one family following the Civil War.” Eleanor
McCallie Cooper, Author of Dragonfly Dreams and
Grace in China.
Books presented in the Inspiring Reads feature are available for purchase via the
FAWCO website in the Books by Members or Books by Clubs sections. Enjoy!
Inspiring Reads is a new feature for 2022
where the Inspiring Women Team
interviews an author about their book. If
you have any FAWCO member books/
authors you would like to recommend,
please get in touch with Michele
Hendrikse Du Bois at
inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org
52

53

INSPIRING YOU
Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a global women’s NGO (non-governmental organization), an
international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 58
member clubs in 31 countries on six continents. FAWCO serves as a resource and a voice for
its members; seeks to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide, especially in the areas
of human rights, health, education and the environment; advocates for the rights of US
citizens overseas; and contributes to the global community through its Global Issues Teams
and The FAWCO Foundation, which provides development grants and education awards.
Since 1997, FAWCO has held special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social
Council.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
FAWCO is an international federation of independent organizations whose mission is:
• to build strong support networks for its American and international membership;
• to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide;
• to advocate for the rights of US citizens overseas; and
• to mobilize the skills of its membership in support of global initiatives for
education, the environment, health and human rights.
MAGAZINE FEEDBACK
We want this magazine to be interesting for all FAWCO members. In an effort to provide articles
of interest to all of our readers, we have created an online feedback questionnaire. It
should only take a few minutes of your time to complete and will be a great help to us!
Please click on the link or paste it into your browser
to complete our short five question survey.
SURVEY
THANK YOU!
ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER
FAWCO receives financial remuneration for page space from advertisers. Views expressed or benefits
described in any display advertisement, advertorial or in any webpage visited online directly from these
adverts are not endorsed by FAWCO.
Copyright 2022 FAWCO
Inspiring Women© Magazine is owned and published electronically by FAWCO.
All rights reserved. All bylined articles are copyright of their respective authors as indicated herein and are
reproduced with their permission. The magazine or portions of it may not be reproduced in any form, stored in
any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy or otherwise –
without written consent of the publisher.
54

MORE ABOUT THIS ISSUE
The Inspiring Women Team
Liz Elsie Karen Berit Michele Haley
For more information about this magazine, please contact a member of the Inspiring
Women team:
Editor in Chief, Liz MacNiven, inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org
Advertising and Sponsorship Manager, Elsie Bose, advertising@fawco.org
Distribution Manager, Karen Boeker, iwdistribution@fawco.org
Social Media Manager, Berit Torkildsen, iwsocialmedia@fawco.org
Features Coordinator, Michele Hendrikse Du Bois, inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org
Profiles Coordinator, Haley Green, inspiringwomenprofiles@fawco.org
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to our profilees: Alexandra, Ayuska, Maria M, Maria S, Mary, Nadine, Rajea and Stacey,
with thanks also for the use of their photos and those of their friends and families. Additional
thanks to Amanda, Carol H, Carol S, Deidre, Harriet, Mary, Sharon, Suzana and Ulrike for their
work on the articles.
The cover photo is of Masha Sumina on a visit to Cypress, Texas. Masha was born in Russia,
and for the past 11 years has been volunteering at her daughter’s international school in
Moscow as a leader of the Environmental Sustainability Committee, developing it from a
small-scale recycling initiative to an all-encompassing community-wide program supported
by the school's official policy. On their trips to other countries, one of the first things for the
family is figuring out the local recycling system. Here Masha is dropping off recycling at the
Cypress recycling center, a first-time visit for her local hosts as well.
Special thanks to the proofreading team of Karen Boeker (AWC Denmark), Sallie Chaballier
(AAWE Paris), Mary Dobrian (AIWC Cologne), Tamar Hudson (AIWC Cologne), Carol-Lyn
McKelvey (AIWC Cologne/FAUSA), Lauren Mescon (AWC Amsterdam), Mary Stewart Burgher
(AWC Denmark), and Jenny Taylor (AIWC Cologne and Düsseldorf).
Please note: images used in this publication are either sourced from the authors themselves or
through canva.com.
55

Coming in May
2022
Women and Gardening:
”Mothers of Nature”
The Inspiring Women team thought that the perfect
follow-up to the environment issue was an issue about gardening. We think it will be fun, informative
and get us all thinking about the glorious things we can do with seeds and soil to improve the planet.
If you moved from your country to an international assignment, have you been able to continue to
garden in your host country? What are the differences? What have you learned that you can take
back with you?
Are flowers your thing? Do you prefer wild and random flowers and plants or Versailles precision
gardens? We are also interested in those who make their livelihoods from plants - landscape artists,
florists, flower arrangers.
Or are vegetable gardens your passion? We would love to profile farmers, food growers or
agricultural engineers. Tell us about your farm to market experiences, your canning and preserving
acumen or how what you are growing is making an impact.
This theme is a “big tent”. We always look forward to getting nominations or ideas for features that on
the surface don’t seem to align with the theme, but upon further review they are a perfect fit!
This is a great opportunity for members to share gardens in the cities where they live. From Norway to
Nigeria, we want our readers to experience the natural beauty across the FAWCO World. Whether
profiles, features, or photos, we look forward to sowing the seeds for our May Issue.
To nominate candidates for profiles, please send
the candidate’s name, candidate’s email address and a
brief description (50-100 words) of why you think they
are inspiring and fit the theme for the issue. Send the
information to Haley at
inspiringwomenprofiles@fawco.org
FEATURES: To complement the profiles, we are
looking for women to write feature articles around the
theme of gardening. Once again, this is a broad theme;
let us know what you would like to write about. Our
features are 700-800 words plus photos.
To contribute an article or feature that you think fits
with our theme, contact Michele at
inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org
Photographs are integral to our magazine. We end each issue with a page of a photograph that
offers a unique perspective on its theme. The photo can be
provocative, amusing, entertaining and/or artistic. The photo should
lend itself to a portrait orientation and able to fit an A4 page. To
submit a photo that you think says “That’s Inspired!” for this issue
please contact inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org
56
THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING
NOMINEES, FEATURES AND PHOTOS
IS MARCH 21 ST .

That’s Inspired!
The pace of international conferences can take their toll on anybody!
Riva Dagmar Henderson Drollinger recently participated in COP26 in Glasgow along with her
Mom Amanda Drollinger (AWC Central Scotland), co-chair of the FAWCO Environment
Team. While waiting for her next meeting, Riva takes a well-deserved time out. Ever the
FAWCO supporter, she is reading What is a Perfect World?, a children’s book by Nancy Lynner
(AWC Central Scotland), illustrated by Tharien van Eck (AWC Antwerp), designed by Joyce
Halsan (AWC Central Scotland) and produced by Amanda Drollinger (Mom). The book is
available for sale via the FAWCO website. Net proceeds go to the Target Program.
57