November 14, 2023
For Mayenda Jones, the dream of an equitable society starts at the dining room table.
“Everyone deserves access to nutritional foods that can help sustain their way of living,” she said.
Jones is the recipient of Green Iglu’s first-ever Tomorrow’s Food Security Leaders Bursary worth $500. She was chosen from 60-plus applicants across Canada last month.
She is a member of BC’s Gitxsan First Nation and the Mapuche Indigenous group from Chile in South America. She is majoring in First Nations Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia.
Jones became passionate about food security at an early age. Her family grows their own greenhouse produce while carrying on traditional Gitxsan food harvesting practices.
“Understanding food security can create sustainable food choices that we can incorporate into our everyday lives,” she said.
Raygan Solotki, Executive Director of Green Iglu, praised Jones for her compassion and understanding of a crisis that impacts millions of Canadians.
“Mayenda is a remarkable woman who will make a difference in this world,” said Solotki.
After graduating from UBC in 2026, Jones plans on pursuing her Master’s degree in an Indigenous area of study.
“I will continue to advocate for creating long-term solutions to reduce food insecurity in Canada, especially in Indigenous communities where it's more difficult to access proper nutritional foods,” she said.
Green Iglu works to ensure all Canadians have access to fresh, healthy food and the knowledge to grow their own food. The non-profit’s approach involves building multi-season greenhouses paired with hands-on learning.
About 20 percent of Canadians, including about 1.8 million children, live in households that lack regular access to food that meets their needs.
Green Iglu receives no government funding and relies on donations and grants to fulfill its mandate. To support our mission, visit www.greeniglu.com. For further information, email media@greeniglu.com.
