It was after a long workday and I was slightly nervous about this new challenge of interviewing Ritchell Selma. But from the very moment she smiled at me from my laptop screen, I knew it would be an interesting conversation.

Ritchell’s affable nature made the whole experience quite interesting as she shared about her life and struggles with ease. By the end of my stream of questions, I was equipped not only with this inspiring story to tell, but also lessons learned from a person who has seen life’s ups and downs.

What purpose do I have in this lifetime? It’s a question most of us struggle with, and some sadly grow old without figuring out their answer to this question. In our two-hour Zoom meeting, Ritchell gave me the impression of someone with a definite answer to this question. It’s not every day we get to meet someone who inspires us with their stories. Ritchell’s Food Jar and the strong woman behind this business might just be the inspiring story we all need to hear to end this year right.

Ritchell, at first glance

Ritchell Selma is your typical mom who tries her best to live life to the fullest while still paying the bills. The fact that she’s a single mom is already worth applauding, but what makes us love her more is the resilience and strength she carries while facing life’s adventures. Despite the many hurdles thrown at her, some unimaginable enough to belong to teleseryes, Ritchell still gave off a happy-go-lucky aura of a woman.

Her business, Ritchell’s Food Jar, is proof of how she faced one of life’s greatest challenges—the COVID-19 pandemic. While a lot of us spent our idle times catching up on our series, riding on TikTok trends, becoming plantitas, or transforming into master chefs at home, Ritchell and her son were cooking up ways to earn extra income. They’ve gone through selling various stuff such as plants and disinfectants, but food became their ultimate salvation in this start-up business.

And thus, Ritchell’s Food Jar was born. After partnering up with friends from all over the country, Ritchell started selling different food jars to satisfy our hunger. They have a wide range of homemade or naturally-harvested products.

For those looking for something sweet, her peanut butter from Negros comes in different flavors—Belgian Chocolate, Crunchy Classic, Creamy Classic, and even Keto Sugar-free is your option (Php 165-240). Gourmet Tuyo from Manila (Php 220) is perfect for those looking for a new viand to try. Tabléa from Leyte is also available for chocolate drink lovers, and freshly-harvested honey from Davao (Php 225) is available as your natural sweetener.

It’s quite important to mention the fact that these jars come in pretty packages, which was a product of Ritchell’s love for arts and crafts.

Ritchell, behind the business

But behind this business that’s been making people happy for the past year is a story that tells us of kindness that’s hard to find these days. In the midst of a pandemic where everyone struggled to survive on a day-to-day basis, Ritchell’s passion to help others shed a light on other people’s darkness. Although earning added income and finding a way to use her love for crafts were major reasons behind the business, Ritchell soon found a different purpose for selling her food jars—helping.

I know some people who were retrenched or experienced pay cuts at the start of the pandemic, so I asked them if they’re interested in selling my food jars…. Eventually, they started earning more than I earned.

Ritchell Selma

Ritchell’s business became an avenue for other people to overcome the pandemic. To some, it became a means to earn some money to put bread on the table. Ritchell even shared the success story of a friend who lost her job but was able to sustain herself while selling the food jars. To others, it became a way of connecting with their loved ones who they could no longer visit due to the ongoing virus. Ritchell also fondly shared accommodating friends overseas who wanted to send gifts to the families they missed in Cebu.

We may be overstretching by saying this, but what makes Ritchell’s Food Jars a good business is the humanity they showed us during these difficult circumstances. When we’re placed in a tight spot, the natural reaction is to help ourselves first while forgetting those around us. But with Ritchell, helping herself became a venue to help others.

The good thing about this business is that I can help others by helping myself. I don’t earn much with this business and I don’t think it can sustain, but I know I can help people. The happiness and fulfillment you receive after are what matters, I don’t want to stop it because it’s my way of helping my people. My hashtag is “fulfilling dreams one jar at a time” because it’s really true.

Ritchell Selma

For orders, you may get in touch with Ritchell’s Food Jar through Facebook and Instagram.

_{Photography by PJ Yu | Videography by PointUp Films | Hair and Makeup by Karlo Damolo and Jerwin Batastas | Outfit by The Maze Ayala}