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Manija Mayel 💗✨ she/her/hers

@manija.mayel

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Vegan Chef @scandischooljc providing a freshly prepared plant-based lunch, an edible garden and food prep opportunities for our kids❤️😋✨

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THE PANTRY

R: “I have a Pantry at home! There are other pantries here too” (referring to our other closets).

Scenes from a kitchen exploration today.

What’s in a Pantry? Do you have a Pantry? What do you keep in your pantry? In our @scandischooljc one we keep dry goods, grains, pastas, canned tomatoes and so much more. #plantbasedschoollunch #exploringthesenses #kitcheninvestigations taken in The Scandinavian School of Jersey City by @manija.mayel

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6 years ago

Thank you @welcomehomejerseycity for welcoming me and having me join your stellar superhero staff in taking on the local resettlement work of Afghan Refugees. I’m honored to be doing this work with you and ask anyone out here interested in volunteering to please reach out for more details at: manija-at-welcome homerefugees.org

🙏🏽 Thank you Alain Mentha and Dave Mammen for this amazing opportunity.

Reposting @welcomehomejerseycity
📣 INTRODUCING MANIJA MAYEL
Please help us welcome Manija, our newest addition to the Welcome Home staff! She coordinates the volunteers helping Afghan families resettle in Jersey City. If you would like to join a team of volunteers helping an individual family, write her at manija@welcomehomerefugees.org.

Manija is Afghan-American, born in Sugar Land, Texas to two Afghan immigrants, one of them an asylum seeker. She is mom to Niro, and Vegan Chef at The Scandinavian School of Jersey City where she runs a food program with an edible garden, and schedules prep time in the kitchen with the children. Manija has a BA in International Communications and a minor in Social Sciences from The American University of Paris. She has experience in organizing efforts, campaigns and fundraisers of different kinds in her community. A Jersey City resident, Manija reached out to Alain in August after the terrible news of her ancestral country being devastated yet again and desperately wanting to help anyway possible. Over the last 30 years she watched her extended family go through the process of immigration, ESL, work, resettlement, careers, to eventually thrive and provide for their children. What happened to Afghanistan is not yesterday's news cycle. It’s going to be a marathon. Welcome Home being situated in Jersey City makes it accessible to her, and for her to pull in her community into calls for action and resources. It’s a natural fit and she’s thrilled to be in partnership with Welcome Home Jersey City! by @manija.mayel

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5 years ago

Here we are!
Day 3 of our new school year💗✨

Feeling all the feels. Excitement, fear- will I live up to this big kitchen we’ve grown into- can we prep for this many? I’m here to tell you after putting one foot in front of the other the last few days and leading up to it- weeks, it IS possible. It takes lots of care and focus, clarity and joy to pull this magic 🪄

It’s just the beginning of the year. I want to take stock of the aww and determination that is these days. As we embark on our expansion of this plant based food program and welcome new friends. Let our kitchen and garden follow suit and may they grow and flourish like our small friends and with their care 🌱

#madefreshdaily #plantbasedschoollunch #healthyguthappybrain #eattherainbow taken in The Scandinavian School of Jersey City by @manija.mayel

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4 years ago

A beautiful ALMOST Fall ride with @bikejcgram visiting all our local JC Gardens. We started at the lovely @riverviewgardenjc , headed to @hopegardenjc , @ogdens_end and @sgtanthonypark where my daughter Niro helped me open up the garden to share with our fellow riders this morning, while our Head gardener Norrice spoke about the Hostas in the most shaded areas to the Natives in the front gardens and creating harmony with planting everything in between to the beauty of a garden that blooms continuously in the growing season from bulb to flower to shrubs and trees. It’s an honor working along side these neighbors, learning from them and sharing when possible. Come garden with us @sgtanthonypark I hear we have a plot available ;)

Holler if you like @bikejcgram ‘s playlist- #jonimitchell by @manija.mayel

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a month ago

Our trip to the Farmers’ Market today for
Week 10: Soil to Table @scandischooljc

A delight to eat peak fruits and vegetables including Cucumelons and Ground Cherries.

We had a delicious picnic snack, some risky play and brought back a giant Sunflower head to explore together ✨

@halalpasturesfarm by @manija.mayel

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2 months ago

Baby returns from camp🥰🥹💕☀️🧿✨
With her beautiful glass art in tow.

#healthyamihappyamiholyami by @manija.mayel

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3 months ago

Gratitude for this special space within our community. A safe space for families to come share a moment together to play, share a slice, practice English, outdoor activities and homework help.

Dedicated volunteers who have been with @welcomehomejerseycity for a while and new ones who come join us along the way to local high school and college students.

Yesterday @stronggrrl said “thank you for your service” after our last families were heading home and we had packed up for the evening. Tears stung my eyes remembering oh, that’s what we do.

Selfless Service. In Selfless Service to You.

Come join us some Monday evening, bring an activity or just come along- sign up on our webpage to volunteer. DM or comment for how below 👇🫶🏽💕

@welcomehomejerseycity
@welcomehomejerseycity

#buildalongertable
#dropbydropariverflows by @manija.mayel

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3 months ago

There she goes! Year 4 to camp (though she will say it’s year 5)💕🫶🏽🌈🌸

@zaksherzad by @manija.mayel

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4 months ago

My Midsummer Princess 👸🏽 toppled 9th grade with 5 A’s and 1 B.

We are so proud of her peaks, valleys and plateaus and every place in between. The routine she brings us, the seasons we witness together. All of it.

Love you my heart, so so soo much💕

@zaklink2020 by @manija.mayel

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4 months ago

Happy Father’s Day Baba Zak🫶🏽

Niro and I are lucky to have you in our corner. Best Father, Best friend and amazing space holder of Music, Instruments, Knowledge, Patience and Perseverance.

So much gratitude for you Zak🙏🏽

@zaklink2020 by @manija.mayel

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4 months ago

Happy Birthday to our Baba Zak🫶🏽💕💥🙏🏽💪🏽 We are a mighty team. Thank you for your love, care, hard work and determination in making Niro’s path comfortable and full. You bring music, creativity and all great things come together 💫 in 5 minutes you are able to connect to a person in a room and find a shared experience. You’ll forever be Baba Zak. Be healthy, Be Strong Be Sher Palang Pooshak e Qat Daraz. 🙏🏽 @zaklink2020 @nirosherzad by @manija.mayel

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4 months ago

Hey Mom 🌸

It’s your birthday. Your astral sign is as strong as your will.

Your strength gave you fashion sense in Kabul in the 70s. It gave you wings to leave a patriarchal society to go study abroad in another country on your own.

It gave you courage to flee and seek refuge in the safety of the land of the free. Where you continued learning, a career in Nursing, raising Mustafa and I and working very hard.

I think some of that work ethic rubbed off on me while also teaching me to play and keep a balance.

You were given an unfair deal when life changes happened. You became the breadwinner of the home when Baba couldn’t. You overcame cancer at a young age. You fought strong to get the care and support Mustafa deserves and you keep pushing.

You face so much on your plate. I wish I could make some of that easier for you.

Instead I will just wish you a happy birthday for now. Maybe it’s actually today, maybe it was a different day on the lunar calendar of 13 months.

Here in the Northeast the cherry blossoms are blooming on your day. You finally got to come see them a couple years ago when you held my hand through my treatment. You stayed strong for me and showed up for me too.

We love you and wish you health, good times and good memories to outweigh the difficult ones.

Tavalodet Mobarak
🌸🌸🌸

@marymayel by @manija.mayel

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6 months ago