I come from a culture where verbal affirmations of love are not common, food is often used to show love, and unity. Food is one of the most significant aspects of Togolese culture. My passion for food sparked from a young age, whether it was by watching my mother gingerly prepare my favorite meal, or by the unified laughter heard from the kitchen when my mother and her sisters cooked together. Until this day, everything about food from its preparation to its science fascinates me. My interest in food extended to the clinical side when my maternal grandmother passed away from complications from hypertension. I later discovered that hypertension was the main cause of death in my family and in Togo. My sister and I moved to the United States from West Africa, Togo 10 years ago in the pursuit of a better education. It is here that I became engrossed with reading and learning about hypertension. I learned of the field of dietetics amid one of my inquiries about hypertension. Here lies an entire field of study that allows me to familiarize myself with a disease that has brought grief to my family and many others in my homeland. Becoming a dietitian has become my life goal ever since. In my father’s village, whenever people had dire wishes or goals, they waited until night had fallen to cast their wishes to the ancestors. They would go to the nearest farm and, out loud, introduce themselves and their respective tribe(s). They would then cast their wishes in the form of a story. After one casts their wish, ancestors wait until they detect that the wish caster has ézœ (fire/drive) in their heart to do the diligent work necessary to achieve that goal. Once the ancestors are satisfied with a wish caster’s level of ézœ, they then transform that wish into reality. So, to my ancestors I say… “I am Victoire Omou, a woman of the Akpôsso and Akébu tribe. I traveled to the U.S in the pursuit of an ameliorated education. That pursuit has led me to fall in love with nutrition and the ability for humans to utilize food to improve their livelihood. My years in the U.S brought me to the realization that motivation to succeed comes from within oneself. I searched and found that motivation within and now pride myself in being a driven scholar, athlete, and an active contributor to my community. After the completion one of my Nutrition courses, I found myself drawn to metabolic disorders. Learning that nutrition therapy is the primary and often only form of treatment for people suffering from inherited metabolic disorders made me want to become a metabolic dietitian more than anything. To bring some level of relief to a parent with a child diagnosed with Phenylketonuria (PKU) is something I have been longing to do since I first learned of the disease. After a few years working as a full-time metabolic dietitian, I would like to continuously travel back to my homeland, Togo, to provide nutrition education/ therapy to my people. I believe going back to help the nation with its hypertension crisis would be my way of fulfilling my imperfect duty to others. The maxim of perseverance and persistence towards one’s goals was instilled in me from a young age. That perseverance has helped me accomplish some of my wildest dreams. That same perseverance will help me change the life of many through clinical nutrition therapy and counseling. This, Togbéwo (ancestors), is my story, this is my wish and I have the ézœ to make it my reality.``

I come from a culture where verbal affirmations of love are not common, food is often used to show love, compassion, and unity. Food is one of the most significant aspects of Togolese culture. The preparation of meals and ingredients used carry stories from generation to generation. My passion for food sparked from a young age, whether it was by watching my mother gingerly prepare my favorite meal, or by the unified laughter heard from the kitchen when my mother and her sisters cooked together. Until this day, everything about food from how it is grown, prepared to its science fascinates me. My interest in food extended to the clinical side when my dear maternal grandmother passed away from complications from hypertension. I later discovered that my father was also hypertensive, and that hypertension was the main cause of death in my family and in Togo. My sister and I moved to the United States from West Africa, Togo 10 years ago in the pursuit of a better education. It is here that I became engrossed with reading and learning about nutrition and hypertension. I first learned of the field of dietetics amid one of my many inquiries about hypertension. Here lies an entire field of study that allows me to familiarize myself with a disease that has brought grief to my family and many others in my homeland. Becoming a dietitian has become my life goal ever since. Once upon a time the world relied on agriculture and natural food to survive and thrive. Shifting to factory farming, though convenient, came with an immense escalation in chronic diseases and climate change. I have witnessed too many loved ones perish from preventable diseases to sit idly by. I want to acquire the knowledge to provide evidence based functional nutrition education and therapy to the world. I would also like to continuously travel back to my homeland, Togo, to teach my people about the healing effects of a natural diet. I believe going back to help the nation with its hypertension crisis would be my way of fulfilling my imperfect duty to others. I have dedicated the past five years of my life learning how to purchase food from ethical sources and continue to consume knowledge about how to produce my own fruit and vegetables. To relay the importance of natural food and agriculture to the world, I have created an Instagram blog where I post healthful recipes using natural ingredients and infographics on the impact of factory farming on our planet. The blog has allowed me to make the topic more palatable and interesting to my peers. I know I will make an even greater impact by completing my master’s degree in clinical nutrition science and becoming a working registered dietitian. Our beautiful earth has provided us with everything we could yearn for. It is time we give her the care and appreciation she deserves. It is time we go back to our roots of agriculture.