Tuesday, February 24, 2009

"Da Kokonut Lady" Featured in Harvard GSE Magazine

Ed, the magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Winter 2009 Edition), runs a feature on SRE President Perla Manapol's coconut-related activities in the Philippines and in Liberia. (www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed Go to "In the Media," then "One on One," and click on her name)

"Da Kokonut Lady," who earned her Master's Degree in Education at the HGSE, reports that she is "completely overwhelmed" by the responses and comments - online, by e-mail, and phone - prompting one of her colleagues in community development to remark, "Gee, if I had known you'd get this type of exposure thru the Ed Magazine, I would've chosen to go to Harvard, too!"

"Of course I enjoy, and savor, the responses," Perla says, adding, "But the most important thing is that there is now more awareness of what we're trying to do with the tree of life and how adding value to its so-called 'waste byproducts' can actually help improve the lives of poor coconut farmers."

Noting that this type of publicity - free, at that - doesn't come by easily, Perla thanks Ed editor Ms. Lory Hough and the webmaster for "providing a much-needed push for our 'endeavor of the heart.'"