Storie agter die Storie | Ruah - Koester Jouself
Ek koester my kleintyd-herinneringe en onthou graag die kere toe my ma my gestuur het om met onbeholpe vingertjies pietersielie en basieliekruid vir die slaai te gaan pluk. Vanjaar is dit al 10 jaar sedert my grootmenshart die eerste keer deur kruie, veral laventel, geroer is! Ek kon van daardie dag nie ophou droom van `n laventel- en roosmarynland voor my plaashuis nie.
Na ‘n tydperk van navorsing, van wag, aankoop van plantmateriaal, van wag, ‘n besoek aan Frankryk, van wag, ‘n skoonma wat my droom haar droom gemaak het, van wag, het dit wat eers net gedagtes was ‘n werklikheid geword.
In Januarie 2007 was ons lavandula en roosmaryn gereed vir oes. Die plantmateriaal is ge-oes en so is ons eerste essensiële olie gedistilleer!
In samewerking met `n laboratorium in Johannesburg het ons `n lyfsorg-reeks ontwikkel wat hoofsaaklik verryk is met ons organiese, landelik-gedistilleerde essensiële olies. Saam met ons lyfsorg-reeks voorsien ons ook verskeie ander kruieprodukte vir die kombuis soos:
Gebak vir die hart
Hierdie produkte vervaardig ons self met landelik verboude kruie.
Die volgende stap was, om te bepaal hoe om ons produkte te bemark. Weens die eksklusiwiteit van ons olies is besluit om die bemarking in eg digterlike Afrikaans te doen, want watter ander taal kan lekkerte beter beskryf as Afrikaans?
Die naam van die reeks is dan:
RUAH (`n Hebreeuse woord wat beteken – Asem van Lewe, Asem van God, dit wat jy nie met die fisiese oog kan sien nie, maar waarvan jy so intens bewus is dat dit jou menswees raak).
Vir my is RUAH ‘n vrou (eers natuurlik was sy pasgebore, ‘n pienkvoet, toe ‘n tiener vol dinge en geite). Maar nou is sy volwaardig vrou – geplant langs ‘n stroom van lewende water, haar wortels diep en haar gesig verkieslik na die son gedraai! Sy blom waar sy geplant word! Sy word bederf deur almal se entoesiasme, se ondersteuning, se heerlike glimlagte. Sy put haar inspirasie uit die tyd en plek waar sy is! Ons wekroep: “koester jouself” is RUAH se kreet vir elke vrou, elke vriendin, elke ma, elke dogter! Ons kan tog te vinnig opgeslurp raak in die alledaagse gejaag na wind. Hier wil ons met elke woord wat jy op ons produkte raak lees vir jou weer rus gee, vrede gee, tyd gee! RUAH glo dat Gees-geïnspireerde woorde die krag het om gedagtes te verander. Gedagtes bepaal ons dade en dade bepaal ons toekoms. Mag jou toekoms, liewe Ruah vriendin, voor jou uitstrek met vreugde, geur en reikhalsende verwagting.
The story behind the story (in the Ingelsman's Language) edited and revived by my dear friend: Amelia Burger previously - Editor of GQ South Africa and MBA gradutate from Cape Town School of Business
I cherish my childhood memories and remember with fondness when my mother sent me out to the garden to pick herbs such as parsley and basil with my clumsy little hands. This year we’ve been at it for 10 years since my adult hart was first moved by herbs, specifically lavender. I’ve not stopped dreaming of having lavender and rosemary growing in front of my farmhouse since then.
After some time of doing research, purchasing plant material, a visit to France, my mother-in-law making my dream her dream and a whole lot of waiting in between, did that which started out as a random idea turn into a reality. In January 2007 our lavendula (common name lavender) and rosemary were ready for harvest and we distilled our first essential oils.
In collaboration with a laboratory in Johannesburg we developed a body product range that was enriched with our organically and agriculturally distilled essential oils. Besides our body products we also produce and supply a variety of our agriculturally cultivated herb products for use in the kitchen for example:
Once we had our products, the next step was to decide on how we were going to market our products. Given the exclusivity of our oils we opted to go with authentic, poetic Afrikaans. It is a very descriptive language so we thought it suitable to describe our nurturing and body enriching products for you to spoil yourself with every day.
The name of the range is RUAH, which is Hebrew for the “the breath of life” or “breath of God” meaning that which you can’t see physically but awareness that touches you deeply.
I envision RUAH to be a woman. At first newborn, a pink foot then a complex adolescent, but now a wholehearted woman planted next to a stream of living water, rooted deeply with her face turned to the sun. Wherever you plant her she flowers. She’s spoilt with everyone’s enthusiasm, support and belly laughter. She draws inspiration from her present circumstances. Our wake-up call, cherish yourself, is RUAH’S cry for every woman, friend, mother and daughter. How quickly do we get tangled into every day demands on us?
With RUAH we want every word on our product packaging to give you peace, rest and a sense of spaciousness. We at RUAH believe that the Spirit inspired words carry the power to change thoughts. Thoughts determine our actions and our actions determine our future. May your future, dear RUAH friend, stretch before you with joy, aroma and enthusiastic expectation.
RUAH se Tuine en Tossels onderhoud (van 2007)
RUAH se Kwêla onderhoud (2016) - as per DSTV KYKNET Channel 144
Bekyk die Ruah onderhoud met Kwêla hier (as die skakel nie werk nie, kopieer dit hier - http://kyknet.dstv.com/2016/05/16/kwela-ruah/ )