Jasmine: Queen of the Nile Delta

What a fun year 2024 is starting out to be! Yesterday was Leap Day, an extra date added to the calendar every four years to help us stay on track with the celestial calendar. Historically, this day was added at the end of the year, which means that today, March 1, would be the start of a new year. Spring is in the air and trees are already budding out here in southern Nevada. Ahead, if we are lucky, are April Showers, which should bring May flowers. All too soon the heat of summer will be upon us.

Welcome back to Harvesters’ Corner! We are excited to share today’s post with you, for it is a story of hope and renewal, of beauty through adversity, and the opportunity we are presented with to make a difference in tomorrow’s future.

Our recent posts have focused on the European country of Bulgaria, and the beautiful fragrances of Rose and Lavender. Join us as we travel southward, over the timeless Mediterranean Sea, and head to the country of Egypt, home of one of the Earth’s oldest

civilizations, the pyramids, pharaohs, and a legacy of art and architecture which people of today marvel at. As we arrive in Egypt, we settle in the Gharbia Governate, a region comparable to a county within a state here in the United States. Gharbia is in the Nile Delta, about half-way between the ancient capital of Alexandria, and the modern-day capital of Cairo. This region is densely populated; over four million people live within the twenty-five thousand sq. kilometers (9,653 sq miles) encompassed within the governate. (1) The size is comparable to the state of Vermont which, as of 2021, had a population of 645,570 people. Millennia of floods in the delta region has provided prime agricultural soil which sustains a variety of crops, including Cotton and Jasmine. Much of the cotton grown in Gharbia is used locally. Our focus, however, is on Jasmine, a dainty white flower with anywhere from six to eight petals, depending on the species.

Queen of the Night

Jasmine is not indigenous to Egypt. The plants were transported in “abundant quantities” during the Roman period of Egypt’s history. (2) This likely took place during the Hellenistic period, when Alexander the Great and his followers ruled Egypt (roughly 323 BC to 30 BC) The plant was native to the eastern European steppes, where Persians revered the flower fora multitude of reasons. The Romans enjoyed Jasmine for its scent and its effects on skin. Being able to simply export the flowers from Egypt, as compared to the much-longer overland journey from Persia, reduced the cost of the final products, which in turn expanded the popularity and use of the products produced. The mature plant has a lifespan of approximately thirty years, and harvesting can begin withing six months of the stem being planted. (3)

More than 50% of all Jasmine used in the world is produced in the Gharbia Governate. Harvesting starts in June and runs through the summer and into mid-fall. The actual harvest occurs in the early morning hours, between 2 A.M. and 8 A.M. The heat increases rapidly after 8 A.M., drying out the flowers and reducing the potency of the plants. Approximately 257 acres in Gharbia are used for growing Jasmine. These lands are centered around the village of Shubra Beloula El-Sakhaweya. The fields are arranged in rows. As the sun sets, the fields look like other croplands. As the flowers bloom in the night they release a pungent, exotic perfume, drawing people to them.

“Everyone in this village from the eldest to the youngest picks jasmine flowers,” states Mohamed Faraj, a jasmine picker. “Kids as young as seven years old wake up by dawn, pick jasmine for a few hours then head to school.” (4)

“The plant is the queen of the night. It has basically adapted its biology to being pollinated by night insects like moths rather than birds and bees, which are basically active during the day,” according to Hussein A. Fakhry, head of the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT). (5)

Being a Jasmine picker is difficult, however. “Jasmine picking is not financially rewarding for young men like me,” Mohamed Faraj states. “We look for other better paying jobs. We pick jasmine all night and then we sell what we pick to the wholesale collector [who sends the plants

to the factory] for 30 EGP [£1.44, $1.82] for a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of blossoms. A person picks an average of 3kg (6.6 pounds) of blossoms making 90 EGP [£4.31, $5.50] a day, which is little.” (6)

Most individuals picking Jasmine are either female, or elderly. Despite the low wages, Jasmine picking is still a prime source of income for many people in Gharbia.

Literacy is Important

As stated earlier, about four million people live in Gharbia, three-quarters of the population live in rural areas such as Shubra Belousa. A major problem in Egypt over the past several decades has been illiteracy. In 2022, Egypt’s literacy rate hovered around 75%. (7) This has been an issue Egypt has worked long to address. Headway has been made over the decades, considering the illiteracy rate was close to 40% back in 1996. Extensive work still needs to be done to improve. In 2017, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) released a set of statistics indicating that 14.3 million Egyptians, age 9 and above, were still unable to read or write. While the country offers free education, there is a sharp divide in the quality of that education based on location, especially agricultural regions like Gharbia. (8)

“In some areas,” Hanah Salem, sociology professor at Ain Shams University, states, “children earn a living by working and their families depend on the money they earn. Some children even reach school age and are never enrolled in school by their parents, who need them to work for the needs of the family.” (9)

This dovetails with a study undertaken by the Egyptian government, which showed at least 200,000 students dropping out of primary or middle school during 2016. (10) Among the top reasons for the dropout was the need to work at a young age to help support the family.

Ms. Salem said that the high illiteracy rate not only created a barrier to economic programs, but also represented a possible security threat. These youths “can easily be influenced by radical groups that have their own skillful way of swaying the uneducated and turning them against the whole society,” she warned. (11)

dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation and the Fakhry School

The Healing Hands Foundation is hard at work in Gharbia. Extensive work has already been initiated on the Fakhry School, a supplemental education program near the Jasmine fields. The end goal is to provide a permanent structure for the schoolhouse, and well as filling the building with supplies for present, and future, students. At present, 450 youth are receiving instruction at Fakhry School, many of whom are children of the Jasmine farmers. (12)

As of the end of 2022, over 5,000 people were empowered directly through their work with Co-Impact Sourcing, and another 22,156 lives supported by their work. (3) It is common for women and elderly to work during the Jasmine season to save up funds to pay for ceremonies such as weddings, or to pay off the debt amassed over the previous year. This boost to a household makes a tremendous impact towards self-reliancy.

Then the Pandemic hit. 2020 saw the first drop in Jasmine demand in several seasons and presented a great threat to the people who depended on the funds brought in during the harvest. Now, because of the decreased demand, close to 5,000 jobs were being threatened by the lack of need. Co-Impact Sourcing stepped in to support the harvest, paying the gatherers the same wages they would have received during a non-pandemic season. The Healing Hands Foundation also stepped in, providing materials for women to sew masks for use in their communities. (3)

Donations are ongoing for the Fakhry School in Gharbia. The need for literacy has never been greater, as knowledge can create a buffer against radicalization. Are you interested in trying Jasmine oil? Let me recommend the Jasmine Touch. We also have 2.5 ml Jasmine oil. As always, to learn more about Co-Impact sourcing click here, and the dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation click here. We haven’t forgot about our article on Hawaiian Sandalwood. It’s coming soon. Be sure to visit us next time, at Harvesters’ Corner. Until then, enjoy spring, and stay safe!

Sources

1.       Egypt Travel Guide. “Al Gharbia Governate Egypt.” Online. <https://www.cairotoptours.com/Egypt-Travel-Guide/Egypt-Information-about-Egypt/Al-Gharbia-Governate-Egypt>  28 February 2024.

2.       Gromeck, Kasia. “From the History of Aromatic Plants: Jasmine in ancient Egypt.” Online. <https://kasiagromek.com/2019/09/15/from-the-history-of-aromatic-plants-jasmine-in-ancient-egypt/>  27 February 2024.

3.       dōTERRA Source to You. “Jasmine.” Online. <https://sourcetoyou.com/en/stories/story/jasmine-oil>  28 February 2024.

4.       Farrag, Omnia. “Shubra Beloula: The tiny Egyptian village few know about.” 7 January 2022. Online. <https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220106-shubra-beloula-the-tiny-egyptian-village-few-know>  27 February 2024.

5.       Ibid.

6.       Ibid.

7.       Egyptian Literacy. <www.statista.com/statictics/572680/literacy-rate-in-egypt>  28 February 2024.

8.       The Arab Weekly. “In Egypt, illiteracy rates down but problem remains.” 15 October 2017. Online. <thearabweekly.com/Egypt-literacy-rates-down-problem-remains>  28 February 2024.

9.       Ibid.

10.   Ibid.

11.   Ibid.

12. dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation. “2023 Q4 Report: Thursday, February 8, 2024” Online. <https://doterrahealinghands.org/whats-happening> 28 February 2024.