Afghanistan’s Soybean Solution

Using his own money and time, Nutritionist Steven Kwon brings soybean production to aid the people of Afghanistan

By CAROLINE AOYAGI, Executive Editor, Pacific Citizen

Steven Kwon may be thousands of miles away from Afghanistan but from his home in Pasadena, California he is helping save the lives of Afghan women and children throughout this impoverished nation.

A nutritionist by training, Kwon works full time as a senior nutrition scientist for Nestle USA. But during his off days and practically any spare moment he has, Kwon works to provide nutrition and health solutions to the people of Afghanistan through his non-profit organization, NEI – Nutrition & Education International. So far Kwon has used up most of his vacation time in visits to Afghanistan and has spent thousands of dollars of his own money to fund NEI.

“It is definitely a challenge to balance my full-time job and my volunteer efforts with NEI,” said Kwon who contacted the Pacific Citizen while on a recent trip to Afghanistan. “Many volunteers are full-time workers as well. One of the key reasons why NEI has achieved what it has thus far is because of those volunteers who share the same vision and heart.”

Kwon first visited Afghanistan in May 2003 where he led seminars on health and nutrition for Afghan community leaders in Mazare-Sharif. Kwon introduced milk-based and soy-based products to supplement the nutritionally depleted Afghan diet which mostly consists of naan bread and chai tea. Surprisingly, all of the Afghans who attended the seminars favored the soybean products.

Kwon founded NEI shortly after his first visit to Afghanistan and for the past two years he has been racking up air miles flying back and forth to Afghanistan to work with local farmers in the development of soybean production. Currently he is working to develop soybean fields in 12 Afghanistan provinces in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.

“The Afghanistan people and the government are aware of the malnutrition problem among Afghan women and children who need an increase of protein in their diet to regain their health. With that understanding, they are fully supportive of NEI’s nutrition initiative,” said Kwon.

There are approximately 21-26 million people who live in Afghanistan and most suffer from a lack of nutrition. Sadly, one out of six women die during childbirth and one out of five children do not live to reach the age of five. Most of these deaths are due to a lack of protein in their diet and will likely be avoided in the future with the help of Kwon’s soybean cultivation.

Although tensions between the Muslim world and the United States are currently high after the recent London terrorist bombings, Kwon has learned much from his work in Afghanistan.

“No matter the religion or the ethnic background of people, their basic needs and will to live are essentially the same,” he said. “The differences are certainly there, but we must be more tolerant of each other to overcome these differences and live harmoniously together.

“In my own experience interacting with many Afghans who are Muslims, I learned that they are whole-heartedly welcoming me when I approach them with understanding and a caring heart,” added Kwon. “If we can respect that, then we can have a society that is more tolerant of each other.”

Kwon’s dedication to the people of Afghanistan and to NEI has extended to his immediate family. Although his wife Annie and daughter Sonia were at first worried about Kwon’s safety in Afghanistan and skeptical of his decision to spend their savings, they have come to understand the importance of his mission.

“In the beginning, all of my family members were concerned about my safety and financial investment, and even tried to persuade me not to go to Afghanistan,” said Kwon. “However, after learning about the grave situation of the women and children, they became strong supporters of NEI. They share my own concerns and care for the women and children.”

Annie now works as a volunteer executive secretary for NEI after selling her art school business in Pasadena to help supplement their income and provide funds for NEI. Their daughter Sonia, a recent UC Davis graduate, currently works as a part-time staff member and volunteer administrative coordinator for NEI until she returns to school for her graduate degree.

The Kwons are now waiting to harvest the soybean plants in late September and mid-October. If the harvest is successful, Afghan leaders will test the soybean plants in all 32 provinces. Although the past harvest was done by hand due to the lack of funds and equipment available in Afghanistan, NEI is hoping to raise about $25,000 to purchase thrashing equipment in time for the upcoming harvest.

Once soybean production is established in Afghanistan, Kwon hopes to establish a soybean factory to process the raw soybeans for national distribution. Eventually, he hopes to set up a nutrition university in Mazare-Sharif to educate future leaders in nutrition and health.

So far NEI has spent $70,000 on the Afghanistan soybean endeavor and Kwon has personally tapped his resources and network of friends and acquaintances. He hopes to raise some additional funds to continue NEI’s work in the country and seeks volunteers who are willing to help with NEI’s non-profit work

“We have received a few generous donations, yet additional support is greatly needed,” said Kwon. “NEI will be delighted to accept any concerned citizen who would like to aid in these long-term goals … volunteers are helping to make all these things possible.”