Nr. 150 - March 2015
Harvesting Time
Turning Oranges Into Juice at SEKEM
Editorial Dear Readers, many of your friends or relatives may have been in touch with SEKEM for a long time without being aware of it. They may have already enjoyed oranges from SEKEM, which are processed by the German fruit juice company Voelkel for European markets. Or they may have fought their last rhinitis with a herbal tea from Lebensbaum, the German company whose teas also contain herbs from SEKEM. Chances are good that they may also have purchased onions, potatoes, sesame or many other products of SEKEM in one of the numerous organic supermarkets in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. In short: SEKEM can invest into human and environmental development in Egypt also because many people purchase and enjoy SEKEM products. In Egypt, it has now become even easier to support SEKEM through conscious shopping with the new table water ISIS is now bringing to market. Two articles in this issue report on how the water and the aforementioned oranges, that are now being harvested, find their way into your supermarkets.
Your Team of Editors Find SEKEM also on the Internet at:
ISIS Table Water Opening of the New Bottling Plant
Girl’s Day
Celebrating Girl’s Day at the VTC
On SEKEM’s Fields: Cultivating Oranges in Egypt
Spring is the time for harvesting citrus fruits at SEKEM, first and foremost oranges. They are turned into the tasty, natural orange juice produced by ISIS and shipped to local and international markets.
Now in February, the orange trees bear the heavy load of the fruits that SEKEM’s farmers have been cultivating the past year. It is in early spring that they are ready to be harvested.
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t is harvesting time now in Egypt for all citrus fruits including limes and particularly oranges. In January, orange trees across the country are bowing under the tremendous weight of the huge golden fruits that brightly glow in the sunlight. SEKEM runs four farms where it grows oranges. The ever-popular fruits are a good example of the sustainable and fair ways of producing agricultural produce at the initiative. It produces the precious fruits on the farm
Adleja, just a few kilometres outside of the main SEKEM farm. Here, SEKEM also grows limes and vegetables next to the oranges. Twelve co-workers attend to the small trees on Adleja in charge of the cultivation of the plants. Depending on requirements, they receive additional help from up to eight other co-workers. Among the original twelve are four agricultural engineers who instruct the others SEKEM Insight | March 2015 | Page 1
Economy
and organize the work of everyone else. “Many farmers have been with us for over 25 years. They have accumulated an extensive base of knowledge of biodynamic agriculture, which is immensely valuable to us”, says Mariam Abouleish. The young agricultural scientist is part of the team of responsible engineers. Her colleague Aied Abd El Hamed is a farmer and has been with SEKEM’s group of orange growers for 26 years. For Aied, his job is his vocation: “My soul is with SEKEM. I love to work here”, exclaims the father of four. “In fact, I have the feeling that I was born to be a farmer.” In Adleja the entire cultivation of the fields of orange trees is done by hand. Therefore, Aied is always very busy, for instance with weeding, ensuring a continuous supply of irrigation water, or with pruning the trees. In addition, the plantations regularly need to be treated with tailor-made preparations produced in accordance with the guidelines of the international Demeter federation. Water Supply Remains Challenge Since the government constructed a canal between the Nile and the Suez Canal several years ago, irrigation water can be drawn from the great river which flows through Egypt along its entire length and has been irrigating the fields along its banks for thousands of years. “The advantage is that this water is not as saline as that from the deep wells we also have on the farm. The desert soils tend to be extremely saline due to decades-long agricultural mismanagement”, Mariam Abouleish adds. After more than 30 years of biodynamic cultivation on the SEKEM farms, its soils can hold up to 20 percent more water than conventionally farmed ground. Such long-term agricultural achievements are of great importance in Egypt, as any cultivation relies on artificial irrigation. Another challenge is the control of plant pests and fungi. The seedlings SEKEM grows and uses are treated in accordance with biodynamic principles, for example with a number of natural preparations including oils or micronized sulphur.
From SEKEM’s own fields the oranges are brought directly into its factory just a few kilometres from the farm.
All these preparations need to be applied and their use carefully monitored. In fact, Adleja employs more people than a comparable German farm. Many farm machinery European farmers are perfectly familiar with are not available in Egypt. The farms are therefore comparatively small thus making the use of large and expensive harvesting equipment economically inviable. In 2014, the young orange trees bore fruit for the first time. “Normally we get ten to 15 tonnes per hectare yield”, says Mustafa Al Anwar. The agricultural engineering has already been working for SEKEM for eleven years and is also a member of the Adleja team. “Last year, the acres each delivered around five tonnes of oranges. This year, we expect
at least twice that quantity – but it will take another couple of years for the young trees to reach their full capacity”. The engineer especially appreciates the spirit of cooperation at SEKEM, even on the level of executive management. “We are in constant contact with each other and are often asked for our opinion. I very much appreciate that we do not only execute commands, but are always encouraged to actively share our experiences and insights”. Respect for Nature and People Alike SEKEM’s co-workers also benefit from health insurance and regular professional education. In addition, they have the opportunity to participate in a variety of cultural activities. Continued on page 4
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Economy
Opening of the New Bottling Plant for ISIS Water
After many years of planning and preparation, the new production facility for ISIS‘ latest product, a table water, could recently be inaugurated.
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t has finally arrived: SEKEM’s ISIS has begun to offer its own bottled water on the Egyptian market. The filling station for the new water is situated on SEKEM’s farm Adleja, about four kilometres from the main SEKEM farm. For several years already, the new production lines had been waiting for
the starting signal. But until now, the facility lacked one final but crucial element: the official registration of the well. The political instability of recent years and the associated frequent changes of executive staff in the relevant ministries served to postpone the approval process time and again. Thus, staff at the plant were all the more delighted when the new SEKEM factory could be finally opened on 25 February of this year.
Since early March, ISIS has now been selling the bottled water on the Egyptian market in three different bottle sizes (600 ml, 1.5 liter and 5 gal.). A significant contribution to the realization of the project came for many years from SEKEM co-worker Wolfgang Schulz, who only recently died in SEKEM.
The former owner of a juice production facility in Northern Germany had come to SEKEM first in the summer of 2003 and has largely been responsible for implementing the juice production facilities at ISIS. He had served as the chief technician in charge of the construction of the new water filling lines: from the purchase of the equipment to the laying of the pipes to the first test runs there was not a single system the planning or construction of which was not in the hands of Wolfgang Schulz. Since early March, ten employees have now been hard at work in three shifts around the clock in the new facility. “The water we draw from the deep well is first cleaned thoroughly by multiple filters and then further processed”, explains Mohammed Sami. The former student of the SEKEM School has received his training as a mechanic in the Vocational Training Centre of the initiative and is now responsible for all technical installations in the new factory. He remains
indebted to Wolfgang Schulz, with whom he has worked closely and for a long time. He received much of his practical knowledge from the experience of the older colleague.
Wolfgang Schulz died in SEKEM in February after more than 10 years of working for the initiative.
Together, Wolfgang Schulz and Muhammad Sami have also worked on the construction of the complex filter system, through which the water is freed of coarse contaminants and unwanted bacteria. After extensive treatment, the water is bottled, sealed, and labelled in a machine that presses the labels onto and around the bottles using hot air. “We have chosen a special bottle design to distinguish ourselves from the other producers of bottled water”, says Dr. Mamdouh Abouleish, CEO of ISIS. A Joyful Day and Farewell After the long wait, the opening ceremony was a joyful event and at the same time served as a bid of farewell: “Today, we remember our friend and colleague Wolfgang Schulz, to whom SEKEM will remain indebted for a long time. He will be with us in the future not only through his work on the new factory, but also as an executive members of the staff who always put the human relationship to his colleagues first and never stopped to care for their personal well-being”, Helmy Abouleish said at the event. Christine Arlt
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Social
SEKEM‘s Vocational Training Centre Celebrates „Girl‘s Day“ On this year’s “Girl’s Day” SEKEM’s Vocational Training Centre opened its doors to the female pupils of the SEKEM School to give them insights into the apprenticeships available to them.
Continued from page 2
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n 8 March every year, the world celebrates the social, economic, and political achievements of women. As a sign of the strong belief in the important role of women in sustainable development, the SEKEM School’s teachers organized this year’s celebration of the day at the Vocational Training Centre to give female pupils early insights into the world of work.
The SEKEM School’s teachers have committed themselves to introduce the school’s girls’ to apprenticeships for professions that in the past have customarily been taken up by boys. This year’s “Girl’s Day” offered them an “open day” at the training centre providing them with brief glimpses into the occupational fields of plumbing, carpentry, mechanics, agriculture, and electricity. To prepare the event, the teachers from both institutions met several times during January and February 2015 together with elementary and secondary school students. The teachers decided to invite female practitioners in professions which many in the Egyptian society still frequently consider to be unsuitable for women: a flight attendant and a plumber. The “Girl’s Day” started with a celebration in the SEKEM School’s great hall attended by all the students, teachers, guests, and some co-workers and executives from SEKEM’s companies. It began with a reading from the Holy Quran, recited by a male teacher and a female student together. Then, Fatma, a 21-year old flight attendant, spoke about her experiences in life and work as a flight attendant, followed by a recount
by Umm Bassem, a woman today working as a plumber. She told the audience how she had finally arrived at the difficult decision to become a plumber late in life. Many of the women present were eager to learn of her experiences. Strong Demand for Introductory Courses At presentations, two teachers at SEKEM’s Special Needs School, Ahmed and Mahmoud, spoke about how they take care for their pupils in the field of health, education, and personal daily needs. In Egypt, nursery positions are also commonly staffed with women. Several co-workers from the SEKEM Medical Centre also recounted their work experiences. A female quality supervisor from one of SEKEM’s companies spoke about the impact gainful employment had on the development of her personality, broadening her outlook on life, and how this enabled her to make her own decisions. The audience in the theatre was given the chance to ask questions to be answered by the guests and teachers. “How can women challenge the customs of their society which prevent them from practicing professions carried out only by men?” was among those particularly important to many participants. The school’s students were enthusiastic to accept women as partners in the process of working for greater sustainable development everywhere in society.
If one examines the fields next to the Adleja farm, one quickly notices that SEKEM does not only strive for a respectful relationship with its co-workers, but also extends these values to nature itself. It places much emphasis on clean work environments and exceptional orderliness. Many conventional farms lie adjacent to highways and are exposed to their dirt. Adleja, however, is situated along a remote country road and is surrounded by hedgerows.
Now that SEKEM’s orange trees have been cultivated for five years, they can soon be harvested for the second time. First, the fruits’ sugar content is measured. Due to the Egyptian sun, SEKEM oranges are particularly zesty while also exhibiting a refreshingly sour aroma. “ISIS picks up our fruits and processes them”, said Mustafa Al Anwar. “The fruits for the Egyptian market are washed, pressed, and bottled as the popular ISIS orange juice.” The oranges destined for Germany, however, need to be processed in a different company as mandated by European regulations. Agriculture a Part of Inclusive Development
It was decided that there would be
With the sustainable cultivation of oranges SEKEM is making a contribution to both the improvement of working conditions in Egypt, as well as to the protection of a healthy environment. The particularly careful methods of growing oranges and the investments SEKEM makes into fair trading regimes and equitable economies make their
Tamer Badr and Christine Arlt
Christine Arlt
more events like this one in the future to answer the many appeals for more opportunities to learn about routes of occupational advancement for women.
oranges into an important part of its integrated approach to development: nature and people must be cared for not separately but together as a whole.
You can visit SEKEM yourself:
www.SEKEM-reisen.de
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Impressions from the 2015 „Girl‘s Day“
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Impressions
Impressions from SEKEM
T
he power of the Egyptian sun made it possible for SEKEM to recently replace the power of a diesel generator on SEKEM’s farm in the oasis Wahat Al Bahareya with solar energy. SEKEM has just completed the installation of a photovoltaic system that powers a water pump that in turn irrigates an area of 60 feddans (about 25 acres) of date palms. On 31 March, the solar system was first put into operation and the plant inaugurated at a formal event at the oasis. SEKEM had received technical support during construction not only from the German company “Aschoff Solar” and its local partner “Egreen”, but also from its own ranks: students of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Heliopolis and students of the SEKEM Vocational Training Centre flocked to apply their knowledge productively during the installation of the site. Eventually, more than 60 people attended the dedication ceremony. Everyone was particularly impressed by the silence that set in when the diesel generator powering the pump until then was finally turned off. In 2013 a first photovoltaic system had been installed with the support of the DEG (German Society for Development) on the roof of the Heliopolis University. Since then the solar system has not only provided a part of the institution’s buildings with electricity, but also continues to serve the students and outside partner organizations with an opportunity for hands-on research. Inspired by the DEG project and the rising diesel prices, a 60 kWp photovoltaic system that drives a 37 kW water pump was then planned to be erected at SEKEM’s farm in Wahat. “The establishment of photovoltaic systems requires substantial investments, over € 100,000 in the case of Wahat”, Dalia Abdou, one of the responsible project engineers, explains. “Given the current diesel prices, the system will be profitable for SEKEM after ten years”. The Egyptian government has recently decided to promote investments in solar systems through targeted support instruments. So far, solar power plants in Egypt are being constructed mainly in the agricultural sector. SEKEM is not only one of the pioneers in the country, but now also runs the largest solar-powered pump in Egypt. SEKEM considers sustainable energy as fundamental to the future of the country and is confident that it can install another photovoltaic system on the Wahat farm shortly. SEKEM Insight | March 2015 | Page 6
News in Brief
Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish Speaks at Conference on Biodynamics
People in SEKEM: Abdullah Ahmed ambitious young member of the SEKEM family replies. Abdullah was directly involved in implementing the customer service department at SEKEM. In this context, his excellent language skills helped him a lot. Abdullah’s English pronunciation makes him sound like a true native speaker. In fact, he is regularly approached by consumers whether he is indeed an American. “I have been in love with the English language since I was a child. I used to watch American movies while trying to imitate the actors’ accents.”
Abdullah Mohammed works in SEKEM’s customer service department.
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I don’t think that anything is impossible. We encounter many obstacles in life. They are challenges, nothing more”, says Abdullah Ahmed. The 28-year-old is responsible for the SEKEM costumer service. Day by day he is responding to questions concerning SEKEM products, background information, or orders, and is handling complains. “You will find this kind of work in every company, and nevertheless I can say that I love my job”, Abdullah says. “It is my passion to communicate with people and to convince them of the value of something good.” The SEKEM employee is deeply bonded to the holistic approach of the initiative. Three years ago he quit his job with a renowned international company to commit himself to SEKEM. Since then, he has dedicated himself to its cause. “My purpose was to do something that not only enriches my own life but also has a positive impact on the lives of other people. I was specifically attracted to SEKEM’s commitment to sustainability, which is unique in Egypt, and by the responsibilities of the position that was offered to me”, the
However, Abdullah worker is also very passionate about his mother tongue. He has been writing poems in Arabic since he was at school. Soon, he will publish a collection of them in his first book. “Usually I write about my home country and about women”, he reveals. His encounters are purely platonic, of course: the devout Muslim is single and intends to wait for the one and only woman to accompany him through his life. His poetry is about inspiration that he received from a number of female friends or individuals that affected him in one way or another. “I love my work, poetry and many other activities. Nevertheless it is our prophet who plays the biggest role in my life. He is my leader and empowers me to make my dreams come true”, exclaims the prolific young writer. Ever since Abdullah was invited to join an event promoting talented new poets in Cairo, he has been dreaming about one day becoming the “Prince of Poets” – a prestigious award for Arab writers. Abdullah: “I want to leave my fingerprint in this world – but I can achieve that through my poetry as well as in my job for SEKEM. I am convinced that there is always the possibility to make the best out of any situation. Thus, I am also trying to integrate SEKEM’s idea of sustainability into my personal life.”
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How to move from abstract ideas to concrete experience“ – this was the slogan of the International Conference “Alliances for Feeding the Planet” that took place at Bocconi University in Milan recently. Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish had been invited to speak at the event about SEKEM’s holistic approach to development, a concept crucial for positive longterm development not only in Egypt but globally. On this occasion, Dr. Abouleish also met an old friend again: Guilia Maria Crespi, the current chairwoman of the Italian Environmental Fund. 38 years ago, Dr. Abouleish himself had joined Guilia Crespi’s trainings on biodynamic agriculture. Thus, it was from Dr. Crespi that the SEKEM founder first learned the benefits of the agricultural idea that should later became one of SEKEM’s main conceptual pillars. The conference aimed to inform participants about new best practice in sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, eco tourism, and handicrafts. It involved the participation of academics, researchers as well as farmers, entrepreneurs and professionals in the field of nutritional science. Christine Arlt
Masthead: The editors of SEKEM Insight wish to thank all contributors to this issue. Editors: Bijan Kafi (Chief Editor), Christine Arlt (Cairo Correspondent) Contact: SEKEM-Insight Gotzkowskystr. 15 10555 Berlin Germany bijan.kafi@SEKEM.com Pictures: 1: Mariam Abouleish; 2: Bijan Kafi; 3, 7: SEKEM; 8: Karina Boers; 5, 9: Christine Arlt No republication without written consent by the publisher.
Christine Arlt
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