VOA – CONNECT 
EPISODE  #160 
AIR DATE  02 05 2021   
TRANSCRIPT 
 
 
OPEN  ((VO/NAT)) 
((Banner)) 
Teaching during the Pandemic 
((SOT)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Give me a thumbs up! 
It’s very rare that you get to see your child as a student and 
it’s very rare that children get to see their parents as 
workers. 
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner)) 
A Homegrown Business 
((SOT)) 
((NATS:  Customer))
I cannot stop eating it and I never liked peanut butter before.
     ((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
Some of my customers send me videos.  It makes me really 
happy to see these videos and the customers loving the 
peanut butter. 
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner)) 
A Higher Calling 
((SOT)) 
((Jude Smith, Seminarian, Saint Meinard Seminary and 
School of Theology)) 
That's what I did and packed everything in a car  
and moved into a very small place over here at Saint 
Meinrad.  There's something rewarding in minimalist and  
reduction of things. 
((Open Animation))  
 
 
BLOCK A 
 
 
((PKG))  FIRST GRADE TEACHER   
((TRT:  04:50)) 
((Topic Banner:  Mother + Teacher + Pandemic))  
((Reporter/Camera:  Lisa Vohra)) 
((Map:  Urbana, Maryland))   
((Main Character:  1 female)) 
((Sub Character:  1 male)) 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
Noah, do you want a turn? 
Um, yeah.   
((NATS)) 
Which is more, scared or terrified?  What in?  Show me the 
one that is more.  Scared or terrified? 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
So, teaching first grade virtually and having a child who is 
virtually learning kindergarten has been pretty 
interesting.  Very chaotic.  Not chaotic in a bad way, chaotic 
as in there’s a lot going on under the roof of our house at 
one time.   
((NATS)) 
Go ahead and click that blue box. 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
I have 20 students learning and then I have a kindergartner 
who’s also trying to learn.   
((NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Since he is in kindergarten, he does not know how to, pretty 
much, login by himself with like the passcode and 
everything.  So, I have his computer on my lap and I’m 
logging him in while I’m communicating with my students.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
I’m very open with my students.  So, I told the adults in the 
beginning of the year and throughout that I do have a 
kindergartner at home, and I’m here pretty much by myself 
all day, while my husband’s at work.   
((NATS)) 
((Robbie Ford, Kindergartner)) 
I have to meet with my Ms. James in ten minutes.   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Yep, I have an alarm on my phone that’s going to tell me, 
okay.   All right, so you’ve got ten minutes.  You have Brain 
Flakes in there.   
((NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
I am continuously trying to listen in on his learning as 
well.  So, I wear headphones and one headphone is always 
out, so that I can hear what’s going on.  Because if he 
minimizes his screen, if something happens with his 
technology, I need to be able to put my students on mute, 
tell them give me a second, and fix it real quick.   
((NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Seven-year-olds cannot sit for 30 minutes or more.  I can’t sit 
for 30 minutes or more.  So, there’s a lot more brain breaks.   
((NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
So, we’re going to go ahead and start our 20 minutes break, 
okay.  Give me a thumbs up.  Got it.  All right.  Go run 
outside or something.  It’s really nice.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
It gives enough time for them to use the restroom, eat a 
snack, play with a toy in their house and then come back 
and be ready.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Robbie Ford, Kindergartner)) 
Um, these crackers for you. 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Okay.   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
The parents and adults of my students have been 
phenomenal during this.  They’re very supportive and 
understanding.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
So, what I want you to think about is, what emotions does 
The Recess Queen have?  And what does the word ‘bully’ 
mean?   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
They’re telling me things the students can’t tell me.  For 
example, “Ms. Ford, you’re talking to your son and you’re not 
on mute.”  Like, things like that.  And I think it’s cool that 
parents get to understand what you’re actually teaching.  It 
gives me a sense of confidence as well, and it makes me 
stay on my A game at all times.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
I need you to stretch your faces.  What?  You’re gonna 
stretch your faces because we’re going to make different 
faces to figure out if we’re happy, sad, angry.  Show me 
angry.   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Being with him every day, I can support him.  Also 
understanding my child in a different setting.  It’s very rare 
that you get to see your child as a student, and it’s very rare 
that children get to see their adults and parents as workers.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
So, can anyone tell me what we are supposed to be 
discussing?   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
He can go outside more.  He can play more.  
((NATS)) 
It’s lunchtime.  We have to eat.  We have 20 minutes.   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
And we just get to have a different relationship than we 
normally would.  
((NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
You want to share an apple with me?   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
There are difficulties, don’t get me wrong, with balancing 
home life and work life.  As a mom, I like to keep both 
separate, but they’re now both one. 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
I’m planning with my teammates for our next part of our 
day.  I sent a group of books to them through the 
computer.  Online books for the kids to access that have to 
do with what we’re learning and reading.   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Kids are very adaptable.  I think that is something, as an 
adult, I need to also understand.   
((NATS)) 
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
Mozzarella pizza.   
((Janessa Ford, First Grade Teacher, Kindergarten 
Parent)) 
They all have different backgrounds, different things going 
on at home, but trying to give them a support in one place 
and give them encouragement and knowing that they can do 
this and we can do it.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
 
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up 
((Banner)) 
Peanut Butter! 
((SOT)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
I actually absolutely love being in the peanut 
butter business, even though I never visioned that I would be 
selling and making peanut butter for a living. 

BREAK ONE                                                                    
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                         
 
BLOCK B   
 
 
((PKG))  ARTISANAL PEANUT BUTTER MAKER 
((TRT:  07:26)) 
((Topic Banner:  Peanuts with a Twist)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  June Soh)) 
((Map:  Reston, Virginia))   
((Main character:  1 female))
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
I normally make about 120 to 150 jars of peanut butter a 
day.  So right now, I am getting the spices ready for the Chai 
Nirvana peanut butter.  We start with cardamom.  Then we 
add a little bit of cloves, and just a touch of 
cinnamon.  And then last, we add a little bit of ginger.
     ((NATS))
So, we put all the peanuts in there, add the spices at the 
same time, so they all get ground together.  And then we 
start.
     ((NATS))
     ((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
I actually absolutely love being in the peanut 
butter business, even though I never envisioned that I would 
be selling and making peanut butter for a living. 
     ((NATS))
     ((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
My name is Radhika Murari.  I live in Reston, Virginia.  And I 
founded a company called OmMade Peanut Butter. 
((Courtesy:  OmMade Peanut Butter))
I started making peanut butter when my son was about five 
or six years old.  He is 14 years old now.  He is a swimmer 
and he wanted easy to eat and tasty protein, which normally 
peanut butter is.  But a lot of the peanut butter in the 
marketplace has many unhealthy ingredients, including a lot 
of chemicals and added oils.  And so, I 
((Courtesy:  OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
started to make my own peanut butter, which is really 
delicious.  It’s all natural and it’s really healthy and my son 
loves it.
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
And then one day, someone was helping me do 
a fundraiser, and she tried my homemade peanut butter, 
and she said, “You need to start selling this because you're 
sitting on a gold mine.” And so, that's how the business 
began.
     ((NATS))
I have a home-based kitchen that's been inspected by the 
state of Virginia.  And they come routinely to do 
inspections.  And we have a list of procedures we have to 
follow.
     ((NATS))
     So now, all we do is pour it very carefully into the gift jars. 
     ((NATS))
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
So, that's it.  We just made Chai Nirvana peanut butter.  I 
know it seems very simple but when you have good 
ingredients, you can just put them together in a good ratio 
and you'll have magic like Chai Nirvana.
     ((NATS))
But it starts with good peanuts and Virginia peanuts are the 
best peanuts out there.
     ((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
We have 10 different flavors right now.  I am of 
Indian heritage.  I am actually an immigrant to America.  And 
so, I took a lot of the influences of cooking Indian style when 
I was a kid, and I just combined them.  So, I just love peanut 
butter and I love everything to do with peanuts.  So, I took 
the chai spices from my Indian culture.  I make Vibrant 
Turmeric. I took that from India as well.   
But the bestselling peanut butter is not my idea.  My friend 
kept telling me, “Put coconut in your peanut butter.  Put 
coconut in your peanut butter.”  And I didn't listen to her for 
many months and then I finally listened to her.  And I came 
up with Coconut Bliss and that one is my best seller.
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
My business has been quite successful.  And people outside 
my community always say, “Oh, Radhika, you’ve done such 
a good job.”  And I always say, “This is not my 
business.  This is a business of a village 
of people, especially women behind me.”  In fact, even the 
name of my company, OmMade, my mother came up with 
the name because she said, everything I do is homemade, 
and then she put the Indian symbol Om in front of it.  So, 
even down to the name, it’s other people’s great ideas, and 
they give them to me, and I implement them.
((NATS)) 
((Courtesy:  OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter)) 
I sell my peanut butter through the Whole Foods chain of 
grocery stores, and through some select museum stores in 
the Washington, D.C. area, and also online through our own 
shop. 
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
Until COVID struck, one of our main places to sell was in 
farmers’  
((Courtesy: OmMade Peanut Butter))
markets in this area, and actually my son and 
his friends, because they grew up eating the peanut butter, 
they are some of my best employees.  
((Courtesy:  OmMade Peanut Butter))
They run farmers’ market booths.  And they're very 
enthusiastic about having other people share in their love of 
the peanut butter.
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
Because we are in the middle of the pandemic and so many 
people are stressed out, I am seeing more and more orders 
from people who want to use this as a gift to comfort their 
family or their friends or, in this case, their neighbors.   
So, during COVID, I am even more grateful that I am running 
this company.
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
We have actually sent our peanut butter to 41 states in 
America so far.  And we’ve also, on special order, shipped to 
three countries internationally.  So first, I would like to hit all 
50 states, and secondly, our online business is really robust.
     ((NATS:  Radhika Murari)) 
     Have a good day.  Thank you.
     ((NATS))
     ((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
Recently, the state of Virginia and Fairfax County, which is 
the county I live in, gave me a grant to support the 
agriculture industry in Virginia.  And all of my peanut butters 
are made from locally-sourced Virginia peanuts.  And the 
grant is for 50,000 dollars and it's to start a storefront and a 
commercial production facility within Fairfax County.  And 
through that grant, we are also going to create jobs in Fairfax 
County and have a storefront in front of our 
commercial kitchen, so that we can sell our products and 
also have pop-ups for other small businesses to get 
exposure to potential customers.
     ((NATS:  Customer))
A perfect peanut butter.  I cannot stop eating it and I never 
liked peanut butter before.
     ((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
Some of my customers send me videos.  It makes me really 
happy to see these videos and the customers loving the 
peanut butter.
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
I measure my success in two ways.  One is, of course, a 
business-oriented way.  And since I founded the company, 
our sales have increased 80 percent year-over-year.  But the 
true measurement, for me, of success is the joy that my 
peanut butter brings people.  Today, I am delivering peanut 
butter to the grocery store.
((NATS:  Radhika Murari)) 
These are heavy.
((NATS)) 
((Radhika Murari, Owner, OmMade Peanut Butter))
In five years from now, I hope my business is a roaring 
success.  I hope we’ve created lots of jobs inside 
Virginia.  And I hope we’ve sold peanut butter, not only 
across America, but around the world.
     ((NATS))
 
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up 
((Banner)) 
Horses for All 
((SOT)) 
((Erin Wheeler, Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
Bear likes to have a very confident rider, another reason why 
I put you on because you seem like you had a lot of 
confidence.  Let him know what you want him to do.  Talking 
to him is very, very important.

BREAK TWO                                                                   
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                          
 
 
BLOCK C  
 
 
((PKG))  HORSE CAMP   
((Previously aired October 2020))  
((Banner:  Horses for the City))  
((Reporter:  Marsha James)) 
((Camera:  Philip Alexiou))  
((Editors:  Philip Alexiou, Marsha James))   
((Map:  Baltimore, Maryland))    
((Main characters:  1 male;  1 female))    
((Sub characters:  2 male;  2 female))    
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Ahesahmahk Dahn, Owner, City Ranch)) 
When I was early childhood, my mother would take me to my 
uncles who were sharecroppers.  They had mules and we 
rode the mules and that was it.  And then when we moved to 
Baltimore, I got involved with Nixon’s Farm, where we did a 
summer program and I got involved with the horses.  
And that was in the early 60s and so I've been just at it ever 
since.   
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Ahesahmahk Dahn, Owner, City Ranch)) 
I had a favorite.  It died and it was the genesis of this whole 
program.  The program is City Ranch and our mission is to 
make horseback riding accessible and affordable to the inner 
city, the Baltimore community that may not have the 
opportunity to do it.  
((NATS:  Ahesahmahk Dahn and a Volunteer)) 
Well here, get, you know what the password, the code is, 
right? 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
I’ve been here since February, so not too long, but I couldn't 
imagine my life without horses.  So, I'm very thankful to find 
this place.  
((Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
I love it.  I wouldn't come here if I didn't.  
((Ahesahmahk Dahn, Owner, City Ranch)) 
The one thing that I focus on is taking the horses to where 
the children are,  
((Courtesy:  City Ranch)) 
because if they don't have financial resources, getting out 
here, whether it's on a bus or an Uber or whatever the 
current method of transportation is, is difficult.   
((end Courtesy)) 
So, we want to take the horses into their community.  
((NATS)) 
((Danielle, Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
I really like being here at the farm.  This is one of the most 
accepted like places that I feel….. 
Oh, I’m sorry Bear….. 
just because I've never really had a barn buddy until came 
here and I've been riding for 10 years.  Everyone here is so 
nice and welcoming and I feel like a part of the family even 
though I've only been here for a few months.  And this little 
dude is Lucky.  Mr. Dahn was explaining how he was born 
here, and he came as a surprise, so they named him Lucky 
Surprise.  And then this is Bear.  I think he is one of our 
oldest horses owned by the Ranch.   
I know, you see my food.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Erin Wheeler, Volunteer, City Ranch))   
So, just letting it all hang out. 
So, what got me involved since 2009 was, I was fresh out of 
high school.  I've always loved and worked with horses.  And 
when I went to Artscape in the summer of 2009, I was totally 
encapsulated, and Mr. Dahn was able to give me 
that outlet.  And I've been able to work with so many 
students, so many children, so many adults and really, just 
share my passion with other people.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Erin Wheeler, Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
Bear likes to have a very confident rider, another reason why 
I put you on, because you seem like you had a lot of 
confidence.  Let him know what you want him to do.  Talking 
to him is very, very important.  Remember, leg yield.  I want 
to see you be able to get him over those rails.  There you 
go.  Get him to pick those feet up all the way 
through.  Excellent, excellent, excellent.  Stop your horse.  
((Ahesahmahk Dahn, Owner, City Ranch)) 
Erin is a very knowledgeable person. 
((Erin Wheeler, Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
Keep the pressure.  Keep the pressure.  
((Ahesahmahk Dahn)) 
She has taken on a lot of responsibility here.  She knows the 
program probably best than anybody else because she's 
been here so long.  And now she's doing the instructing, 
working with the youth.  
((Erin Wheeler, Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
Roll him up and turn him in, turn him in, turn him 
in.  Excellent.  Pull him out.   
((NATS)) 
((Ahesahmahk Dahn, Owner, City Ranch)) 
A situation in life happened in our family that made me look 
at what I was doing and how I could be a part of the solution.  
What's going on in Baltimore as opposed to part of the 
problem.  And there were no horse programs.  And I said, 
“Well, you know, I ain’t the smartest guy in the world but I 
know there's no competition.”  So, it was an easy one to get 
in and grow the business.  And that's what has 
happened.  No other programs in Baltimore do 
this.  Right, Benji?  Where are you going?  
((Erin Wheeler, Volunteer, City Ranch)) 
Let's get them all the way up top.  Take that bit out and we 
can give them some apples.  
((Ahesahmahk Dahn, Owner, City Ranch)) 
Okay.  Creating an institution that outlasts me when 
I'm gone, there is still a City Ranch.  It doesn’t necessarily 
have to be the same name, but there's still an 
equine program dedicated and focused toward the 
community of Baltimore City.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 

 
((PKG))  CONNECT WITH – A PRIEST IN TRAINING   
((TRT:  03:24)) 
((Topic Banner:  Connect With – Jude Smith)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  Deepak Dobhal)) 
((Locater:  Patoka Lake, Indiana)) 
((Main character:  1 male))   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
((Jude Smith, Seminarian, Saint Meinard Seminary and 
School of Theology)) 
My name is Jude Smith.  I'm a seminarian in the Catholic  
Church, studying to be a priest. 
Plans change, you know.  Even though I was, I kind of  
thought in my back of my head,  
you know, I would like to retire in Mexico by age 40.  Well,  
things change, you know.  Here I am, giving up the rest of  
my 
life for something, which is not giving up, giving the rest of  
my life for God. 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
Well, I was in real estate for about 20 years but for most of  
my life, I've felt calling to 
the priesthood.  And since, I’d say, the recentpassing of my 
mother about three years ago, that I decided  
to go ahead and move forward with that calling. 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
I'm comfortable financially and I'm comfortable with what I've 
made, and that's just not important to me anymore. 
Maybe, if I had a wife and children and more responsibilities 
in that 
sense.  But being single, you know, my house is paid for.   
I still  
have a place in New Orleans.  You know, my mom 
had just passed away, and there's some property and some  
finances that she had left to us.  So, that rat race is kind  
of over for me, in that sense. 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
When I moved from Louisiana, and kind of the motto,  
even the Glenmary (Home Missioners) 
missionary, “your life needs to fit into a car.”  So, that was  
a pretty big difference from having a house in New Orleans, 
my mom's house, 3,000 square feet [278 square meters] 
full of stuff, a lot of it  
mine, you 
know, and reducing your life to what you can fit in a car and 
pick  
up at any given moment and go on to your next mission and 
what 
not.  So, that's what I did and packed everything in a car  
and moved into a very small place over here at Saint 
Meinrad.  There's something rewarding in minimalist and  
reduction of things. So, yeah.   
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
And at 48, and like I said, having life experiences, I'm not,  
I don't have that thought of, “Oh, what am I missing?”, 
you know, “What's  
the relationship like? What is romance like?”  So, I am, I 
know what  
it's like, you know, and I know that I'm giving that up, but I 
also  
know what I'm giving it up for. 
((MUSIC)) 
Do I have full support from everybody?  No, you never do.   
I mean, I didn't have that much support of 
my own family with taking care of my mom, you know.   
So, but  
I have, I know I have their love and support, you know, 
at least somewhat.  But, is that's, it's not, my life isn't based 
upon what other people think, you know.  I have to move on, 
you know,  
make my decisions for myself.  So, 
it's good to have that support though.  So, yeah. 
((MUSIC/NATS)) 
 
 
NEXT WEEK / GOOD BYE  ((VO/NAT))                             
((Banner)) 
In coming weeks…. 
A Newsstand’s Last Stand 
((SOT)) 
((Benny Platt, regular customer))
This, happiest day of my life.  Los Angeles Dodgers, world 
champions after 32 years.  Awesome.   
((Eduardo Becerril, Salesman, Al’s Newsstand))
     Mr. Jens.  Good morning, sir.  How are you?
     ((Customer))
     Good.
     ((Eduardo Becerril, Salesman, Al’s Newsstand))
     Everything OK so far?
     ((Alan Brooks, Owner, Al’s Newsstand))
I started selling papers when I was eight because I wanted 
extra money in my pocket.  And here I am.  I'm seventy-nine 
years old and I'm still selling papers.  
((Eduardo Becerril, Salesman, Al’s Newsstand)) 
The other day came one family from overseas and I 
remember one of the kids, about maybe seven years old, 
told his dad, “Hey dad, what is this?  What is a 
newsstand?”  So, very funny.  
 
 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                                  


((PKG))  FREE PRESS MATTERS  ((NATS/VIDEO/GFX)) 
((NATS)) 
((Popup captions over B Roll)) 
Near the Turkish Embassy 
Washington, D.C. 
May 16, 2017 
President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters 
“Those terrorists deserved to be beaten” 
“They should not be protesting our president” 
“They got what they asked for” 
While some people may turn away from the news
We cover it  
reliably 
accurately 
objectively 
comprehensively 
wherever the news matters 
VOA 
A Free Press Matters
 
 
BREAKTHREE                                                                         
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                                   
 
 
SHOW ENDS