No matter where you’re from or what your cultural background, food is a common thread among families all over the world and we are reminded of that by one our newer employees Adesoji Ongunmokun.
Adesoji is Yoruban, a Nigerian from West Africa. He grew up in a continent notorious for widespread hunger and malnourishment but he was lucky enough to have parents that made healthy living a priority. Adesoji’s mom was a local trader of kolanuts and his dad was a subsistence farmer planting corn, cassava, yam and melons. It was this work with food that allowed his mom to travel to neighboring towns earning a living and trading for a variety of their family needs including wholesome fruits and vegetables.
Life was not easy for this family of 12, but Adesoji and his siblings learned the value of hard work and education and the importance of providing for the family with each of them contributing to the family meals and food stores with foods like fish, meat, mangoes, pawpaw, citrus and pineapple.
Fast forward three decades later and this mechanical engineer was visiting the United States on holiday spending three weeks with his brother and sister in law when he met Melissa who would eventually become his future wife. It just might have been love at first sight, but for three years and a visit to Nigeria, Melissa and Adesoji carried on a long distance love affair before making it official and tying the knot in 2015 when Adesoji joined Melissa in the U.S. to start their happily ever after story.
Today, Adesoji’s large Yoruban family and traditional African dishes are replaced by his new Italian family that also includes large family dinners filled with vegetables, spaghetti, soups, meat and wine – and of course his favorite, lasagna, making it clear that no matter where in the world you go, family is always brought together by a shared meal.
In addition to his new family and home, Adesoji is thankful to have a job as a machine operator at our packing facility, but more importantly he’s happy that there continues to be new doors and opportunities opened for him.
“I know that there are sometimes various public perceptions about people of my descent, but I am proud to show people who I am and what I can do. More importantly Rainier has afforded me the opportunity to make new friends, learn new cultures and live my American dream. There is nothing better than a large support base. I have fit into life seamlessly here in Yakima and feel blessed to have friends and family to spend time with and I’m grateful for the continued love they show me.”
Of course with the American dream comes new American culture including what Adesoji reports as mobile and on-the-go, but he doesn’t let that get in the way of making sure wholesome living is a priority.
“My wife and I both work full-time but we limit how often we eat out, especially fast food and we try and spend our time together in the kitchen preparing nice meals that are not only good for us, but strengthen our marital bond and help us manage our budget. We focus on meals that are well-balanced and include carbohydrates, protein, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats while cutting down on sugar, as well as high calorie and processed foods. It helps to be located in this agriculturally prolific valley that grows an abundance of fruits and vegetables that we can exploit to the benefit of our family health.”
It’s clear that Adesoji understands and lives Wholesome to the Core in his daily life and thousands of miles and an ocean didn’t change the reality that fresh healthy foods are a fundamental part of healthy families around the world. We’re so happy that employees like Adesoji are part of our team and our family; sharing their skills, their work ethic and their cultures making us all better for knowing them.