Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
The Measuring Post is a podcast about growth, not perfection.
It’s a place to pause, reflect, and measure what actually matters in your life, your work, and your personal development. Not by comparing yourself to others, but by comparing who you are today to who you were yesterday.
I'm Joe Massa, and I created this show because I believe growth isn't a solo journey. Each week, you’ll hear thoughtful interviews with incredible guests: entrepreneurs, leaders, creatives, and everyday people doing meaningful work, sharing real experiences, lessons learned, and practical insights you can apply right away. These conversations are designed to help you think differently, grow intentionally, and move forward with clarity.
Alongside the interviews, you’ll also find The Daily Measure, short, bite-sized solo episodes focused on simple words of wisdom and actionable ideas you can use in your daily life. Think of these as quick check-ins to help you stay grounded, focused, and consistent.
This isn’t about hype or shortcuts. It’s about honest conversations, small improvements, and growing together over time.
If you’re someone who values progress, reflection, and becoming a better version of yourself, you’re in the right place.
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, join the conversation, and grow with us.
Joe Massa (00:00.174)
Boop, right on my face every time. Never makes zero sense. But luckily that's why we're not live. So okay.
Shannon Fernando (00:05.108)
Ha ha.
Joe Massa (00:11.928)
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition of The Measuring Post, a place where we actually measure what matters. And today I've got a phenomenal guest, somebody that I'm really excited to share with you because of the amazing work she's doing out in the world. Her name is Shannon Fernando Ribera, and she is a global humanitarian, a family nurse practitioner, a TEDx speaker, and also the founder and CEO of Alabaster International, which is an organization that's advancing community-led solutions in some of the world's most remote, underserved, and conflict.
affected regions and she is doing this amazing work since 2012. I'm not going to get into all the details because I would love for her to share it. But with that in mind, Shannon, how are you? Welcome to the measuring post.
Shannon Fernando (00:53.364)
Thank you so much for having me, Joe. It's so nice to be here.
Joe Massa (00:57.334)
Yeah, absolutely. Where are you calling from today?
Shannon Fernando (01:00.1)
I'm currently in Burbank, California, so local, in the in the United States currently, yeah.
Joe Massa (01:07.392)
And the reason I mentioned that is because we're going to talk about the work you do all around the globe. So it's really exciting to see what you've been working on. And honestly, I I'm truly amazed at the work you do because it's something that's not often talked about and it's it truly is an underserved community. So before we get into what Alabaster International is, tell me a little bit about, you know, becoming a nurse practitioner and then really what led you to Africa where you started a lot of this work was you were applying to med schools and not getting accepted.
So you decided to take your your skills on the road, for lack of a better term. So start me from the beginning. Tell me what decided to make you want to get into medicine.
Shannon Fernando (01:46.708)
Yeah, thanks so much. So really my journey begins when I was a young child. I I always wanted to be in healthcare, always felt called to being in in med in medicine, caring for patients. I I remember having the l l little kittens in the backyard of of Sri Lanka where I was born. And I would practice doing s listening to their heart and lungs with my little toys stethoscope. And so I still have that memory since I was a since I was like about a four or five years old. And
so that's really where my love for healthcare begins. And did all the steps you're supposed to do pre-medicine and took the MCAT and yeah, was really just devastated when I didn't get into the 13 medical schools I applied to because I thought that was the way I was going to further my career in healthcare and really care for those on the margins through medicine. And it was actually in that moment that I had a decision to make whether I could reapply or actually.
go to Africa, which I'd always wanted to go to and really learn from and really understand okay, what is what am I really called to and what is my why behind the healthcare career. And it was there that I fell in love with Kenya was where I I lived and decided at that point that I felt called to start Alabaster International and come back and become a nurse practitioner, an advanced practice nurse, and really pursue healthcare in that way with a really proximate
Hands on hands and feet on the ground way of caring for patients.
Joe Massa (03:17.858)
Yeah, and and truly feet and hands on the ground. we'll get into some of the work that you actually do, but I have a couple of questions. Were you applying for med school here in the US or back in Sri Lanka?
Shannon Fernando (03:28.19)
Yeah, no so I actually moved here to Sri Lanka from Sri Lanka to the United States when I was about nine. So I've been here most of my life and so yes, I applied here, I went to undergrad here and applied to medical schools all throughout the US at the time.
Joe Massa (03:42.348)
And I'm a big proponent and a big believer that things happen the way that they're supposed to happen. And and for example, if you were maybe to have been accepted into one of those medical schools, Alabaster International doesn't exist. You don't go to Kenya. None of this work gets done that you're you're out there spreading this good natured will and work onto the world. So, was there a specific reason why you didn't get accepted, or is it just, hey, we're not interested and just kind of move on and
Shannon Fernando (03:46.953)
Yes.
Shannon Fernando (04:07.776)
Yeah, it's a great, it's a question. I think I honestly feel like to your point that it was part of my story and part of who I'm supposed to be and and really led me to my ultimate calling, which is nursing and doing this work through Alabaster International. I think it was a combination of potentially my MCAT scores not being maybe up to par at the time. This was back in 2007, so long, long time ago. and also just the sense that I think my heart was not.
fully in it, even though I wanted it to be. I think there was something else missing that I d couldn't yet put my finger on. And it was actually in Kenya that I rediscovered that part of of the really the heart and the why of of why I wanted to do healthcare.
Joe Massa (04:50.667)
Yeah, I love that your your heart was always drawn to helping people. That's such a gift because a lot of people don't have that. I I like to be a helper of sorts, but I don't have the patience or the skill set to do what you do. So I truly appreciate healthcare workers and people that just have that really giving nature and spirit. But I have to ask, you you're doing medicine in the States from Sri Lanka. Most people don't say, Well, I I didn't make it into med school. Let's go to Kenya. So what was sort of the the thought process and how did you know A
Shannon Fernando (05:24.132)
Yeah, so I as I don't remember when this movie came out, but Hotel Rwanda, when it did come out, it was a John Cheatles a pretty old movie. I remember watching that and there's one scene where the the European and US and what you know Western folks are being evacuated and the African people who are now left to deal with this war, is essentially they are
left to kind of fend for themselves in in this in this scene in this movie. And there was something about that that I felt so disturbed by. And also like, okay, I want to be part of the people that are left behind. I want to be the people that are stay the ground and serve and care for communities. and so that was something where I first learned about Africa and some of the the
incredible and difficult and challenging things the continent and different countries have gone through. And it was there that really sparked my interest in in doing work in Africa. And then I had this opportunity to go to Kenya in 2007 right after the rejections. And I just jumped on it with a friend of mine and we went together to live amongst communities in Kenya. And it was really there where everything solidified and I realized, yeah, this is where I'm meant to be.
in in in doing work on the ground through healthcare and serving those on the margins.
Joe Massa (06:49.771)
Yeah, I love that. And I love how it organically played out for you to get there. But I love just hearing some of your backstory that we've discussed before this interview where you talk about living inside the community, not as an outsider, but as as a a patient and as an a
an observer of the community and really sort of embracing their heritage, their culture, and allowing it to become part of who you are. So was there like a big culture shock? I mean, obviously coming from Sri Lanka, then to the US, then to Kenya, that's that's a pretty wide range of cultural stimulus. So was it a big culture shock when you got there, or did it naturally feel just like a good fit?
Shannon Fernando (07:07.84)
Mm.
Shannon Fernando (07:29.0)
I I think for anytime you go into a new community, there's always a an appropriate level of curiosity and also c even caution, I would say, in terms of ensuring you're culturally aligned and culturally humble, and sh making sure you're open to the community and their traditions. So I think there was definitely a sense of like I'm in a new place and I am a learner. I am a listener. I'm not coming in with a fixed agenda, I'm coming in as with a posture.
Of I am not I'm a novice here and I'm here to serve and also walk alongside and learn from communities. So in that way, I think there was a bit of a a shock, so to speak, in that I had to come out of my own comfort zone and what I'm familiar with to really adapt and assimilate and and learn from communities on the ground. And I think that that lesson is is carried into the work we do at Alabaster now for sure.
Joe Massa (08:25.483)
Yeah. No, I love the story on that. And you and you got there in two thousand seven, but Alabaster International doesn't start till two thousand twelve. So you got this five year time frame where you're you're in Kenya the whole time or are you kind of back and forth? I know a lot of the work you do now is also in Ethiopia, the South Sudan, and even parts of South Asia, with you Sri Lanka being over there as well. So did you spend that whole five years in Kenya? Because obviously you came back at some point to get your medical practice.
Shannon Fernando (08:45.994)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Joe Massa (08:55.407)
petitioner's degree, correct?
Shannon Fernando (08:57.194)
Correct. Yeah. I actually stayed in Kenya for about three months and a after that came back and immediately went back into nursing school because I had already had a bachelor's degree that I'd pre prep gone through and prepped for med school, but then decided to take the nursing track. So that was a whole other bachelor's degree I had to get and then a master's degree in n to be a nurse practitioner. So in those five years, that's really what I came back and focused on, while also quietly having this dream of
building Alabaster and putting the pieces in place. And then in twenty twelve launched Alabaster mobile clinic at the time. Actually that was the name. We were focused on healthcare only and only in Kenya. So we went back to Kenya to continue the work that I learned learned about and started in 2007.
Joe Massa (09:43.755)
And I love the natural evolution of Alabaster International since then because you really focus on four core pillars, which I'll get to in just a moment. But you you started as the mobile clinic essentially, like you were going out into these communities and bringing doctors, nurses, healthcare, medicine to them where they were, right? So that was sort of the initial dream of that. What what inspired
Shannon Fernando (10:01.384)
Mm-hmm.
Joe Massa (10:07.072)
the the go back to Kenya. So you were there for three months, which if you look at the bigger pi you know, big picture, that's a relatively small amount of time. So you could have done this in Sri Lanka where you're from. You could have picked any other place. But it sounds like Kenya just grabbed your heart from day one.
Shannon Fernando (10:14.164)
Yeah.
Shannon Fernando (10:21.322)
For sure. I we lived amongst the community. So we didn't live in a hotel somewhere outside of town and then took a bus or a i in. We l really lived in Kabira, which at the time was one of the largest informal settlements in Africa. And the community really embraced myself and my friend and really took us in. And I really fell in love with the women there, especially. And one of the reasons our work is so focused on women is because of what I learned from
when I was in Kenya in Kab living in Kabira at the time and that really formed and shaped who I am as a person and also then the outpouring of that, which is the work that we get we get to do. And then they they and the other women we work with really shape our work in a continual way.
Joe Massa (11:06.22)
Yeah.
And it's great that you were able to take something from that community and then it inspired you to come back and give something to this community. I mean, that's a true two-way highway of the way that life is supposed to be, and you take care of the people that take care of you. So I love that you're living and breathing that. And I also really enjoy learning about Alabaster International because as it does focus on healthcare, there's three other pillars that you've sort of grown into as well, including food sovereignty. So you're making sure that people have enough food for them. And we'll talk about some of the growth and work.
You're doing including NSET, which is the Tree Against Hunger, which I I had to look it up. I had no idea what that was. But the other pillars you focus on, as you mentioned, women's entrepreneurship, as you really grew to know and and appreciate those women, and then also education, which is obviously most valuable piece of this. So tell me how you rounded out those four pillars and decided that those were the ones you would focus on.
Shannon Fernando (11:53.184)
Mm-hmm.
Shannon Fernando (12:01.47)
Again, great thank you for that great question. I I think really out of the work that started in Kenya, and we were only in Kenya for many years actually, and started to branch out into the other countries you mentioned in 2020 onward. And that's actually when we changed our name from Alabaster Mobile Clinic to Alabaster International to really reflect that we were broadening our scope and geographically, but also scope, adding in these other three pillars. Again, all all of our work is really born from
What we see on the ground, the stories we witness, the needs of the communities that we get to learn about. And so as we were working, particularly with indigenous women throughout Africa, we noticed that if you if you empower a woman, you empower the entire community. They are the gatekeepers of nutrition, of nurturing, of of economic empowerment in communities often. And so we we learned quickly that focusing on women.
it impacts the entire family, men and children and and the rest. And so that's really been key to our work. And so that's where the female entrepreneurship idea came out of was we can get make a we can help get women healthy, but if they don't have a means of earning and caring for their families, it's they're still not whole. And the idea of this holistic way of looking at communities and women and families is so critical to the work. And so
the female entrepreneurship was born out of this idea that livelihoods are so important. And then we started seeing the impacts of the pandemic actually on the nutrition of families. And and in addition to climate change and global warming, all of that fueling more drought and failed rainy seasons. And that is why we decided to actually focus on food security because again, you can have you can treat malnutri you can treat malnutrition
through med medication, right, and supplements. But if you can also provide a sustainable source of food that communities can grow for themselves, not just focusing on waiting on short-term aid, then that really truly empowers communities to to self-s to be self-sustaining and self-sufficient in the long run. And so that's where the other two pillars came to be. And then of course finally education, whenever we work with women, the
Shannon Fernando (14:24.808)
the first thing they'll ask is help our children, help the children in our community. And so the education piece came out of the women actually saying to us, We want our children to go to school, we want them to learn, we want them to have access to books and libraries. And that's where that was came out of as well.
Joe Massa (14:41.76)
Yeah, and it's something we take for granted in a lot of the westernized countries and and nations in the world. It's because it's just so commonplace. You don't think about these local villages that don't have those resources, whether it's food or access to businesses or access to education and medication. So really the work you're doing is extraordinarily profound and really, really important that a lot of people overlook. But I I had to dig in a little deeper to this the food security thing, because when I I heard that you guys were helping them grow the
Shannon Fernando (14:44.91)
Mm-hmm.
Joe Massa (15:11.694)
This this crop, it's called NSET ONSET EN SE T. I hope I'm saying that right. And it's it's the Tree Against Hunger, which is a drought resistant, nutrient-dense crop. So how did you find this? How do you grow this? Where did where did that all come from? Or I'm assuming just from your studies and research along the way.
Shannon Fernando (15:14.974)
And said yeah. Yep. You yeah, you said it right.
Shannon Fernando (15:30.942)
Really it came out of this desperation when we started seeing the impacts of hunger on communities, w particularly when we were working in Kenya, but even other parts of Africa, of course, South Sudan, one of the hungriest nations in the world currently. And we really wanted to look at okay, are there crops that are under underutilized or overlooked? Are there indigenous crops that potentially farmers have been farming for generations that we just haven't looked at that have with have
That that are withstanding the test of time, really, in terms of the ev evolving weather and the failed rain seasons and all those different climate shocks that we see communities going through. And it really just led us to research indigenous crops that prote but communities could grow. And that's how we happened upon NSET. There was a BBC article about it actually calling it the tree against hunger and how it's this indigenous underutilized crop that's grown in Ethiopia.
And is a staple food for 20 million people there and is can be the potential a answer to to hunger in many parts of Africa. And there's been some emerging research about it, but it was still pretty pretty unknown at that time. This was in 2022 when we first happened upon it. And it that really began a process of really going to the local experts in Ethiopia and reaching out to them just via email, honestly, and getting connected with a local university there called Arborimans University.
And the amazing people that that that guard and care for this crop. And we got to go and see NSET for the first time and learn about it. It's farmed exclusively by women. So that's a great part of the work that aligns great so well with our work. And we just learned right there, then and there that these farmers have been buffered from hunger even during the 1980s famine in Ethiopia. NSAT growing communities were were.
really, really safeguarded because of growing NSAID. It's it's such a prolific crop. And so it really started this desire enough to say, okay, if this can be an answer to communities in Ethiopia, why not other other places in Africa, maybe even places in Kenya that we are seeing the impact of hunger? And through a series of incredible, miraculous events, as well as amazing partnerships and connections between local agencies, we were able to
Shannon Fernando (17:55.636)
get the Ethiopian government to release NSET for the first time in history to their Kenyan counterparts. And now the crop is growing in both nations. So it's very exciting.
Joe Massa (18:06.699)
Yeah, and if you're just joining us, I'm here with Shannon Fernando Ribera. She is the founder of
Alabaster International. She's not only an amazing nurse practitioner, she's a world traveler, a humanitarian, and now we can add a cultural ambassador because you're your brokering deals between countries now. And that is so cool that you were able to convince a neighboring country that maybe wouldn't have done it on their own. And to be a part of something that powerful and significant really has to feel like an amazing accomplishment. And truly it is. So that's that's an amazing thing that you did for an entire set of communities.
In tribes and villages in a place that didn't have access to that. And luckily it just happened to also fit your narrative of kind of women first doing the work and building this crop. So really amazing work. I know that you've also been recognized by the Clinton Global Initiative. So this isn't just you getting to pat yourself on the back or me do it for you. Major organizations have recognized your work. So tell me a little bit about that recognition you received from the Clinton Global Initiative.
Shannon Fernando (19:09.108)
Yeah, thank you so much for that. And definitely want to sh start by shouting out the incredible people around me that made this possible. I mean, it was definitely not a one-woman show. The researchers and and ac academics in Ethiopia, the government folks that we worked with there, the NGOs in Kenya that helped as well. I mean, it's been a such a team effort. And of course, most importantly, the farmers on the ground in Ethiopia that said yes, that said, hey, yes, we will share this crop.
And the Kenyan farmers who are willing to learn about it. So it's really bit taken taken a village, like they say. And we're so grateful to Clinton Global Initiative for recognizing the work and recognizing this cross-border partnership. We were named a commitment maker in 2024, and we got to share about this NSET work on a global stage. And it's led to some great partnerships, enabling us actually to launch the first ever mobile app on NSET farming that's now being utilized in communities in Ethiopia.
by women farmers there. And and then in 2025, we were named again, recognized again by the Clinton Global Initiative for our NSAT work looking at NSAT agroforestry. So combining NSAT with other crops to really promote biodiverse crop systems for food security and climate resilience. So we're really grateful to them and all of the amazing visibility they've given us in in the last few years.
Joe Massa (20:33.417)
Yeah, definitely. Well, it's well deserved between you and your team and the groups that you're working with. But I like that, you know, part of your internal philosophy from my understanding, there's a couple of things that I really like that you've said is one, communities are partners, not victims that need to be saved. And essentially, you know, we can learn from these communities, we can help each other. They don't need you know, a knight in shining armor to come save them. Instead, sometimes they just need resources and things that can help them get, you know, started in that. But what I really like, which is what I
Shannon Fernando (20:48.725)
Mm.
Joe Massa (21:03.411)
I see you do in your daily work is that the most effective solutions are not imported. They already exist within those communities. And this is a perfect example of that. Whether it's the country next door or the city next door, the town next door, you were able to sort of make this happen. And I love that you're sort of humanizing these cultures instead of making it seem like they need us to come in America or Western Europe to come save them. They don't. They have what they need, they just
Shannon Fernando (21:29.984)
Yeah.
Joe Massa (21:33.261)
sometimes need maybe a little boost, a little extra resource, or just the ability to gather what they need. So what's your internal philosophy on that and how does that play out in your work daily?
Shannon Fernando (21:36.48)
Mm-hmm.
Shannon Fernando (21:43.914)
I think for us it starts by recognizing the innate dignity and strength and resilience of the people that we get to learn from and walk alongside. and we and and the fact that we come in as listeners and partners and not as people with this top-down agenda. So much can get done in communities, and real change happens when we do so as equal partners.
not when they're when we reinforce familiar power dynamics and structures. And for even with with the NSAT story, when I when I approached the Ethiopian government, of course, with all the partners involved on the ground, I I came in as a listener and a novice. I mean they are have been the ones guarding this crop. They know what their own the the needs of their farmers and their people. And I think it was that posture that enabled us to have these conversations that led to this breakthrough.
Because we came in with this understanding that there's no there they are the experts of their own story. We're not the experts. And honoring story, honoring tradition, honoring culture is actually what can move the needle so that there's permission and proximity. And I think those two things, permission and proximity, are have been really the core parts of our internal philosophy and my personal internal philosophy as we move and I lead Alabaster as an organization.
This idea that we can't learn from a distance. We actually have to come and be on the ground and be immersed in culture, in the ways of being of people, f to be able to actually learn and then and then catalyze change from within. And again, to your point, looking at what's already there and then asking permission for us to be able to scale it and learn and and and do more with it as pr communities give us permission to. So it's really this idea of honoring.
honoring people and their and their way of life and then of course looking at the gaps and looking at the ways they want to improve and they want to th thrive in in new ways.
Joe Massa (23:46.229)
Yeah, and I love that you mentioned earlier when you were talking about the women of the community who one of their core sort of requests was like education. So they know in their own communities what they have, what they don't have, what they need, what they're looking for. And that's a gap in a role that you have in in Alabaster has really stepped into and filled, which again, I I just think is so
Shannon Fernando (23:53.812)
Mm-hmm.
Joe Massa (24:06.598)
so extremely important in all countries, but really underserved ones that that need this type of effort. And I know that you did a TEDx s speech as well. Can you tell us about that and was that focused on this particular bit of bit of work? Tell us about your TEDx talk and and kind of were you terrified getting on stage and give me give me the rundown.
Shannon Fernando (24:27.464)
Yes, thank you so much. TEDx was an ex extremely powerful experience. Shout out to TEDx Beverly Grove and Marvin Akuna, who was the producer of the TEDx. It was an i terrifying experience. I mean, it's memorizing that many words and that many minutes of information and distilling the our story down to 17 minutes is was quite a feat. And I'm so grateful for the coaching and all the folks that were involved in get in getting getting me there.
And the story was really about NSAT actually and this idea of permission and proximity. So this this looking at this as an example of how we can implement and leverage and catalyze change in communities because of working alongside and with co-dreaming and co-building with communities together to see to see actual breakthrough in whether it's food or healthcare or other other areas, but in particular in this area.
We're looking at food security. And so, and and this this flipping the script on the that communities want aid and that's what they're looking for is just a short-term band-aid solution. And really, communities want, and we know this from being 14 years on the ground, communities want to be able to grow their own food and be self-sustaining. They want that autonomy, they want to be to be able to say that they're proud of their farms, they're proud of what they're able to produce. And so
It's this idea of looking at what's already within and then capacity building that in any ways communities would allow us to.
Joe Massa (26:02.664)
Yeah, and I absolutely would agree that most people do not want to just be given aid. You know, it it's truly the old adage, give a man a fish, feed him for a day, give him you know, teach him how to fish, feed him for life. And really, you know, some of that comes from
Shannon Fernando (26:10.736)
I
Joe Massa (26:15.974)
Not not the inability or the the effort or lack of skill. It's it's a very harsh environment in parts of Africa. It's not like going down south in the US where it's so wet and moist and great soil and you could grow everything. You're in places there that really need drought resistant crops. And I meant to ask you, and since your TEDx talk was mainly about NSET, what exactly is NSET? Like what's its flavor, you know, palette? What exact what would you compare it to something here in the US? If there's even an equivalent.
Shannon Fernando (26:20.928)
Mm-hmm.
Shannon Fernando (26:44.584)
Yeah, so NSAT is actually a banana-like crop. It's related to the banana tree, but it actually grows about like eight or nine feet tall. And it's actually not the fruit that you eat, like we do the banana. The bark of the tree, because it gets so tall and actually quite wide. The bark of the trees actually eventually s the sheaves of that are scraped off and then it's it's shaved into a pulp. And the pulp is then dried and and you know used as an like an all-purpose flower, essentially. You can make
Pancakes or porridge or other things with the pulp that either is dried or they actually sometimes ferment it and and use the pulp in in a in a wet form. And it has kind of a sour, soury taste to it. I don't know if you ever had injera. Injira is the famous Ethiopian bread that we you get a lot of Ethiopian restaurants in the U in the US. it's it has a similar taste to Injera, a little bit more sour than than that, actually. And my husband is a chef.
And so we actually cook with NSET pretty often and we we eat it because we're become trying to get used to it as well as we're talking about it so much in our day-to-day. but yeah, it's it's really pe communities love it. In Ethiopia, they they eat it actually with their traditional spices. and then in Kenya, they the women that we've introduced it to, they make the porridge out of it and they love the porridge. It's very similar to a Kenyan porridge called Uji.
And so there it's it's quite prolific across cultures. So yeah, that's a little bit about the crop and how you eat it and how and how it tastes.
Joe Massa (28:17.438)
Yeah, you you don't typically see that at your local grocery store here. So I I'm glad you gave me a little rundown on that. and now you you you mentioned a fourteen years on the ground with Alabaster International. So y you're in the you know the four communities, you're in Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sri Lanka. What's what's on the horizon for Alabaster International? What sort of growth are you expecting? Are there other communities, countries you're looking to expand into, or is it just kind of, you know, go with the wind and see how it grows organically?
Shannon Fernando (28:20.799)
No, no. Yeah, thank you.
Shannon Fernando (28:47.316)
Yeah, great question. So I would say there's three big things on the horizon for us right now. The first is NSET. We've been working on NSAT for three years now, and we have proven its viability, its acceptability, that it can grow outside of Ethiopia for the first time in history. It's drought tolerant, it's climate resilient, it's nutritious. So now our aim is to get NSET seedlings into the hands of marginalized female farmers so they can grow it as food. That is our sole focus.
When it comes to NSAT. So whether that's in in parts of Ethiopia that actually don't yet grow NSAT yet, especially in the north. And then in parts of Kenya, obviously that are new to NSAT that we want to scale it to. So that's really what we're focusing on with the NSET project, is we're going from kind of the RD stage of it into the community impact and looking at how farmers can actually grow it for food and even economic livelihoods, selling the seedlings or the paste or crafts that you can make from the NSAT.
byproducts. And then the second thing is our work in South Sudan. So right now we've been working in South Sudan for four years and we have a robust educational program there called Roots and Wings. So we are focused right now on impacting more and more students across South Sudan, giving them access to essential school supplies, launching tree planting initiatives, building libraries. And right now we're in three schools and we're expanding to 40 schools throughout
Throughout Lear, South Sudan. So we're we're caring for about 10,000 children per year, and we want to expand that to 20,000 and more as we as we launched more schools in the program. So that's a big, big thing that's coming our way as well. And then the the the third thing is is we have a gala coming up September on September 12th in Costa Mesa, California. So we're preparing for that. And to really, we're kind of flipping the script on.
on what galas look like. We're it's gonna be an immersive cultural experience, more so than just a sit down dinner. We want c guests to really experience the culture, the beauty, the story, the art of the people that we have the privilege of knowing and serving alongside. So that's those are some of the big things on the horizon.
Joe Massa (31:03.539)
Those are big things indeed. And and that kind of segues me into a question about the work Alabaster does. Forty schools, that ain't free. So how are you guys raising funds and and how can people get involved if they want to either make monetary donations or even become somebody that maybe does missionary work and goes to do some of this actual boots on the ground stuff? And and then also,
Are you personally still doing a lot of trips to Kenya and South Sudan? Is that sort of a regular routine for you? But yeah, and how can people get involved and and donate to this cause?
Shannon Fernando (31:39.454)
Yeah, thanks so much. So I'll answer it in backwards. So yes, my we are still actively on the ground. Again, we believe in proximity. So we're in we're on the ground in in parts of Africa or Sri Lanka every three months or so. And we're actually myself and my husband, we're actually relocating to be closer to the community. So we'll be ro relocating to Sri Lanka and Kenya actually will be going back and forth between those two places at the end of this year. So we'll be there full time.
still coming back to the United States to to see our family and fundraise and and things like that. So we are very, very close to the work. We're there all the time. We meet with our teams weekly, virtually as well. So we yeah we have a presence there and we have local teams that continue the work when we're not there that are alabaster teams that partner with our local agencies that are on the ground. So that's our real our model is really focused on having proximity at all times to the work and the people we s we serve.
And then I would say, yes, get involved. We love people to get involved in the work. We always like to say we love that we need people. We can't do this work alone. There are many ways to get involved. Yes, one way is to give whether one time or monthly. We that you go to our website, alabasterinternal.org, and there's a way to donate one time online or just join our Samama circle, which is our monthly giving program. Samama means to stand.
in Swahili. So this idea that our monthly givers are taking a stand alongside us and the communities to to really support them. So that's those are ways to give to the work. Of course attending our gala if people are local, we love we'll we'll have more information on our website in the next week or so for folks to consider. And then yes coming volunteering whether stateside or coming on a trip with us. You also on our website there's a volunteer form folks can fill out
If you're interested in coming on a trip or learning more about our work that way, our we like to be all open that our trips are very immersive, meaning we live amongst and we eat with and we live in communities themselves. So it can be you're exposed to the elements. Sometimes we're in camping mode when we're there because we don't want to take up too many resources. And so it's definitely an experience, highly recommend. We take many, many teams on the ground.
Shannon Fernando (34:06.836)
throughout the f the four countries. So yeah.
Joe Massa (34:09.767)
Yeah, and what a blessing and an experience that would be to be able to go and live amongst a tribe or a community like that for a while. I think that is such an awesome thing that you're doing. Again, guys, you can check out alabaster international dot org. Look at making monetary donations, look at volunteering time, going to these events, the gallas. That's what makes this all come together. But then of course you'd need the people like Shannon out there, boots on the ground with the vision, the heart, and the mentality to put this together. It is truly an inspiration to learn about the work that you're doing.
doing. I'll make sure to share links to not only the website. You can find them on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn. I'll link everywhere around this video when it comes out. Please, please, please, if nothing else, follow, support, like, share their mission. This is doing such good in the world and it has the potential to go so much further. We're talking three countries in Africa, one in Asia. There's 202 other countries out there. Maybe that don't all need NSET and these type of things, but to have this giving nature and this ability to to learn from
Shannon Fernando (34:47.135)
Yeah.
Joe Massa (35:09.641)
Their communities around them and neighbors and grow together. That's what this show is all about. It's measuring what matters. And Shannon, I have to say, what you do really, really matters. And it's been an honor learning about Alabaster International and really excited to continue watching this organization grow and learn more and more about how we can get involved. So is there anything that you would tell, you know, someone listening in the audience to, you know, about following their passion or like, for example, you were really wanting to be.
Be in med school, it didn't happen. And then look what came out of that sort of, I'm gonna say rejection, because I feel like this is such a greater calling of what you're doing, anyways. Not that being in medical school is not a great calling, but you still get to do the medicine. So what's that one piece of advice you would tell somebody that feels like they they just lost the one thing they've been working for?
Shannon Fernando (35:43.69)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Shannon Fernando (35:49.768)
Yeah.
Shannon Fernando (36:00.746)
Yeah, I would say the one thing I would share is that certainty is overrated. There is a gift that there is a gift when you're faced with the unknown. And instead of seeing that as a catastrophe or devastation of all your dreams and hopes, it actually is an opportunity to lean in with wonder and curiosity. And so I would say embrace uncertainty. I do so many things without fully knowing the outcome or knowing the next step. But as we you take that first step,
the next steps often reveal themselves. So I would say g go doing it scared, doing it even when it you're uncertain has been a a motto and a and a theme in my own life and in the work. And it's really served to remind me to look l have a lens of gratitude and curiosity when things maybe d go unexpectedly.
Joe Massa (36:48.617)
Yeah.
Very well put. And as they kind of say, I think I'll butcher this, but it's like you you find the path on the path, right? So you might have it you might have a vision of where you're going and what you want. And if it doesn't work out, that means something better is coming along the way. So I I really appreciate Shannon your the work you're doing and sharing it with our audience. Again, that's alabaster international dot org. I would highly encourage you to get involved, at least read up on them, learn what they're doing. Maybe it'll inspire you to do some great in your community or where you came from originally. Just always keep
Shannon Fernando (36:54.931)
Right. Yeah.
Shannon Fernando (37:05.139)
Thanks.
Joe Massa (37:18.995)
Keep your eyes out on how you can get involved with somebody, something, organizations bigger than yourself, because that's truly what life is all about. And it it brings a lot of purpose to what we do and helping communities creates this amazing legacy where we can help help others thrive where they live. So my hat's off to you. Thank you so much for sharing and I really appreciate your time today on the Measuring Post.
Shannon Fernando (37:41.226)
Thank you so much for having me. It's such an honor. Thank you for your time, Joe.
Joe Massa (37:44.038)
Absolutely.
Joe Massa (37:48.007)
So hang on.