Archive / Girls’ Education

Happy Malala Day 2014!

Asulia blog happy malala day

Today at Asulia, we’re celebrating Malala Day and the continued joint effort to send more girls to school. She’s an inspiration to not only me, but many of you too.  Young girls around the world face challenging circumstances just to get an education. This doesn’t have to be the case. Malala turned 17 on July 12th and finish another year of school. Let’s make sure more girls have access to an education. Together, we can make change happen.

In the words of Malala:
“Malala Day is not my day. It is the day of every girl and every boy. It is a day when we come together to raise our voices, so that those without a voice can be heard.”

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Share   Show the world what you’re stronger than by sharing this #StrongerThan hashtag on social media now through the end of Malala Day, July 14th, 2014.  Invite your friends, family and community to participate. Here’s a tweet you can send out: I stand w/@Asuliafoods. Together we are #StrongerThan fear, hatred, violence & poverty.

2. Get Involved Visit Malala.org to learn more and, if you feel like it, make a donation to Malala’s organization so that we can create a world where every girl receives an education.

3. Pledge Pick a meaningful action to you and make a commitment to do it! At Asulia, we’ve pledged to donate a portion of proceeds to Room to Read.

With love and gratitude,

Sue

Free Yoga at Fan Pier Park

asulia blog free yoga at fan pier park

Join us for a free yoga class from 6-7pm on 7/24/14 at Fan Pier Park! Ellen Wells from Asana Boston will be leading the class over looking the harbor. 

Asulia Foods will be sponsoring the free event and providing free fusion dumplings. Our friends at Whole Foods Charles River Plaza and Motto will be on hand to help you replenish after class with free snacks and refreshments! 

Please bring your own mat. Class will take place on the grassy park across from Strega Restaurant at One Marina Park Drive (56 Northern Ave), Boston, MA

Donations will be accepted for Room to Read. Even if you can’t attend, you can still support the cause with a donation in any amount. To sign up for the free event, please visit our event page on Facebook.

We can’t wait to see you! Namaste friends : )

 

The habit of giving

asulia blog simple act of giving

The act of giving has always been a thread in my life. I’m a firm believer that you should give what you have and not wait. The most generous people are not always the wealthiest. In fact, the majority of donations made to NGO’s in the US come not from the east or west coast where there’s typically more wealth and education, but they come from southeast and south-central america.

While there’s no doubt that high impact investing and donations matter, the simple act of regular giving can add up over time. It also forms a habit. Often, people say they will give when they are more wealthy and volunteer when they have time, but how many actually follow through? I truly believe people have the best intentions, but fall short simply because it’s not a formed habit.

Asulia is about helping our community eat healthier. We’re also about sending more girls to school. We’re giving what we can now, even though we’re in startup mode, and not yet making a profit. As promised, a portion of funds raised from our Indiegogo crowdsource funding campaign would be donated to Room to Read . So we’ve donating $325, which is 5% after fees were deducted from our campaign.

It’s not just about money. Do something nice for someone today! Open a door, compliment someone on their sweater, make a cup of coffee for someone, or make a commitment to start giving more regularly, whether that’s time or money.

Why Room to Read

It’s always been in Asulia’s DNA to give back to girls’ education. When I first began this startup journey, I was searching for an NGO that was not only impactful, but ran it’s operation like a for profit business for maximum results.

In the fall of 2012, I watched the documentary Half the Sky and was immediately impressed with the work Room to Read “RtR’ does around the world. For the last six years, RtR has received Charity Navigator’s highest four star rating, which is an honor given to less than 2% of U.S. charities. The founder, John Woods is not only a person of great character and a lot of heart, but also a savvy business professional. Woods left his high paying job at Microsoft after a backpacking trip to Nepal changed his outlook and perspective on life. He saw how desperate and immediate the need for education is. Woods is a great example of how one single person deciding to take action can make a difference.

RtR works with local governments to build libraries and schools together. As a result, the community is more invested and not solely dependent on RtR. It’s a collaborative effort from the start with all parties involved.

I’ve had the chance to meet Woods in person and hear him speak, which by the way, I highly recommend. He’s an awesome speaker and the passion he has is so apparent.

Asulia is joyful and proud to support RtR amazing work by giving back 5% of our profits to help lift millions out of poverty and change lives in just one generation. Eduction changes lives, it’s changed ours.

 

5 Reasons Why You Should Support Asulia

By supporting Asulia Foods, you’re saying you care about our community and planet.

1. You Believe in Conscious Capitalism
People, planet, then profit. Doing business the socially conscious way means you back mission-driven companies. Asulia is a conscious, mission-driven company. We create healthy globally infused foods, source as locally as possible, print our boxes using wind power, and give back to support causes like girl’s education.

2. You Support Local Businesses
It’s no secret our local Boston economy could use a boost. The unemployment rate was 7.3% as of August 2013.  Asulia is based in Boston, MA and our line of certified vegan dumplings are handmade locally. Your support will help us grow and create more jobs. In fact, youth unemployment in the MA is 2x the national average at about 14%! We’re a certified YouthTrade company, a company that is mission driven with a founder under 35 year old, so your support gives opportunities to the next generation of entrepreneurs.

3. You want more healthy food options
We all know eating more vegetables is good for our health but it can be challenging to incorporate them into our busy everyday lives. Helping us get our tasty,nutrient dense, high fiber, low calorie dumplings on the shelf means you’re also saying you want more options to share with your friends and family.

4. You support girls’ education
We have the solution to address global poverty, gendercide, human trafficking, and more. Education changes lives it’s changed mine and it can do the same for the millions of girls around the world. Let’s say yes to education and girl power. If India alone enrolled 1% more girls in secondary school, their GDP would increase by $5.5 billion. It’s not just about feeling good and sending girls to school, it’s also about our global economy. You can make a lasting difference by simply choosing to support brands that are mission driven.

5. You love dumplings
Really, who doesn’t love dumplings? Almost every culture has its own variation of a dumpling from a periogi, empanada, and ravioli just to name a few. We can’t wait to add Asulia dumplings to NPR’s global dumpling list.

Changing my career by finding my past

Going to college was great, but that didn’t clearly define what I should do with my career. I had a great jobs in the corporate world, but it never felt like the right fit. Life’s challenges pushed me to focus on something greater than myself. I changed direction, and started a socially conscious food company with a mission to help people eat healthier while also helping girls like me. [more]

Unwanted no more

In our first world country, education is a given, a birth right. Say what you may about America’s educational system, but every child has the opportunity to go to school. Indeed, quality matters. However, in developing countries, girls lack access to what is a normal part of life for us — the freedom to learn.

Growing up, my mother would always tell me how fortunate I was when I didn’t listen to her.  When I was young, it never occurred to me how differently my life could have turned out if it wasn’t for a decision she made on the street years ago.  It’s why I created Asulia.

You can read more about my personal story on Huff Post Impact:

Off the Street and Into Hope


Room to Read

 

Girl's Education - Room to Read

Sue Liang and John Wood, Room to Read

I had the opportunity to meet John Wood, the founder of Room to Read today at an event for his new book launch “Creating Room to Read“. John is a great speaker full of stories from his constant travel around the world to locations where RtR works. His decision to quit his comfy job at Microsoft has changed lives and inspires others to be a part of a movement to lift people out of poverty.

 

Girl's Education - Room to Read

Girl’s Education – Room to Read