The reason for the beginning of a very long journey ahead.

Here is my very long story of 30 years in short. I have always cared about issues that disbalance our society and culture at large. Specifically gender bias issues. I was sexually abused for the first time at a very young age. I suppose that experience changed me a lot as a person, especially as a female. Looking back I can now understand it made me more aware of vibrations and pulses around me. You could say there are lessons to be learnt from every condition in this human experience.

Such encounters only changed me to a point where I felt a greater empathy for the world at large. Not merely for my family and my own, but women and children as a collective. I volunteer with Apne Aap Women Worldwide from time to time and speaking to women and girls who are victims of such hate in our society opened my eyes to an even larger problem. The culture around women in most parts of the world is rather disrespectful. There is much hypocrisy around us. Starting from my own motherland where masses of men worship goddesses for their own greed (mostly). Yet they objectify women around them, in some manner or another.

I am not a feminazi, but I have always known from a very tender age that I need to bring about some truth in this very false world we live in. In many ways it seems like the reason for my birth, soulfully speaking.

You see, I know I am good at whatever I choose to do. For those of you who know me, would know that I have been to the best colleges in the world, studied fashion design and the culinary arts. I could have chosen to be a fashion designer or a mere unconscious chef with restaurants feeding the world with more of what it doesn’t need. That would never work for me. Money and fame alone is not my supreme driving factor. Maybe because I have been blessed to live the life only 3% of the world does - and having all the luxuries, my being still felt empty. I always knew there was more to life than just the fancy riches. So much more.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I met Nishchal, who is a highly self motivated, extremely focused individual. He taught me much along the way. He questioned my actions and what was I really doing to make that change? (All of us want to do things to make the world a better place. Who doesn’t? The human spirit constantly wants to live a loving life, for that is its constant nature.)

Personally, I’m not very self motivated. Definitely not like Nishchal. Having said that, when I feel deeply about something, I would manifest it, more often than not. Thus it all comes down to doing something larger than myself, not for myself alone. There are too many herds surrounding us, who are only building more for themselves. But more on that when I build something of my own, which is truly impactful. :)

Two years ago, Nishchal spoke to me about the idea of Soul Food Inc. A women empowerment project for homemakers who can cook delicious food. Empowering them, who may or may not have the means to reach larger audiences, through a simple mobile app. I was not convinced if this was the right place to start. Probably because I didn't have the vision to understand the simplicty and complexity of this endeavour. He inspired me and trained me well in the last two years to understand the depths of this mission. I was naive and often felt I had to hold out for something more. But time went by, and much of life happened for me to realize and accept, change is gradual. One step at a time. Soul Food Inc. suddenly seemed like the perfect beginning to start.

I know in the start if even one or two women who cook really well, can earn their livelihood by selling their food via SFI, maybe they will be better equipped to deal with the drunkard husband or they will have the means to educate their daughters, or just build a better life for themselves. This is only the beginning. I have humbly learnt that ‘Rome wasnt built in a day’. (My little brother often reminds me of that.) Thus we have tailored a tech business model which is truly scalable, to impact larger audiences of women, from within their own homes.

The most profound moment for me was, when a woman who was forced into prostitution by her own husband, told me, ‘I can cook great food. Maybe if you help me sell it, I can eventually find my freedom and feed my greedy husband.’ This moved me so deeply, that I realised its one step at a time, and its a long journey ahead. We are looking into health and safety very seriously for our consumers, but it was inspiring to know that women today are truly the neck of this society. Men may remain the ‘head’, but the neck is what gives a body more direction and mobility.

This is just the first phase of a large revolution around the culture of women and food in our society we are working on at Preseed. I hope to have you all come forward in anyway you can to aid me and my team on this mission.

For all of you who are reading this, and know of women who make excellent food, enroll them here. By the way, each home cook cannot list more than five of her most special dishes. We will also taste their food and verify them, for we have food tasters in each city.

For those of you who love to eat, gear up! Its time you get to eat the best food your city has to offer. We are on a hunt to find hidden talented home cooks/caterers and their exquisite food which you will not find anywhere else!