Maria Orosa was a freedom fighter, scientist and inventor from the Philippines, as the subtitle of a children’s biography about her by Norma Olizon-Chikiamco describes her.
Born in 1893, Orosa was the fourth of eight children, and her father helped in the resistance to American occupation of their country after Spain’s rule there came to an end not long after she was born. She loved science and studied pharmacy at the University of the Philippines, then traveled to America where she studied chemistry.
Upon returning to her home country, she worked as a teacher and a scientist, and eventually led the country’s food preservation office, using techniques she learned in the United States to teach people to preserve their native foods like mangoes, pineapples and jackfruits. She also invented cassava flour and banana ketchup.
She and her “girls” developed hundreds of recipes using native fruits and plants, and she also invented a clay oven that allowed people to cook without electricity.
Like her father, she also helped freedom fighters. When the Japanese invaded the Phillippines in 1941, she sneaked food into prisoner of war camps inside hollow bamboo poles. She refused to flee Manila and was killed when an American bomb hit her lab.
The book tells her story in biographical form and includes memories from some of her relatives who knew her. The book also includes a recipe for freedom cookies, which were also shared with prisoners during the war and are credited with saving many lives. Read the book and make the cookies and talk about different ways that people can make a difference no matter what their skills are.
Maria Orosa is a lovely and inspiring book about using your talents and standing up for what is right.
About the book: 32 pages, hardcover. Published 2024 by Tuttle Publishing. Suggested retail price $16.99.
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