Tag: food aid

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Community Kitchens (CK)

Saint Mary Orthodox Society for the Support of Orphans – Al Mina, Tripoli

The ladies of Al-Mina CK filling the pots with pasta before delivery

Saint Mary Orthodox Society for the Support of Orphans was established in 1905 in Tripoli, Al Mina with the aim to provide shelter to orphans in the area. Later through the years, the association launched a “Resto du Coeur” program where it used to serve hot meals to needy people.

The ladies of Al-Mina CK filling the pots with pasta before delivery
The ladies at Al-Mina CK filling the pots with pasta before delivery

Accordingly, IOCC & FHF approached the ladies leading this Society (around 20) –that is currently a foyer to female students- to revive and upgrade their existing kitchen in order to activate a food assistance program. In parallel, capacity building to the cooking team (Syrian and Lebanese ladies) was given by FHF on food safety, healthy nutrition, recipes’ standardization and menu development. Since December 2015, hundreds of Syrian and Lebanese families are fed on a daily basis in El Mina and Tebbaneh area.

Implementing Partners: IOCC

Funders: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

Categories
Community Kitchens (CK)

Nusroto Al Anashid Association – Zahle, Central Bekaa

Ladies preparing "roz aa djeij" in Zahle CK

Nusroto Al Anashid Association is a charity organization founded in 2005 by Father Marwan Ghanem. Besides helping the needy and ill, this association offers a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.

Ladies preparing "roz aa djeij" in Zahle CK
Ladies preparing “roz aa djeij” in Zahle CK

In 2015, IOCC and FHF initiated their work with the association to establish a community kitchen in their center. A team of local and Syrian ladies were trained on food safety, healthy nutrition and recipes’ standardization. In parallel, an existing kitchen within the association was refurbished and equipped to cater for hundreds of vulnerable families in the area. Hot meals distribution was launched in December 2015. Despite some challenges at first, given the sensitive aspects supported by the association, the interactions within the CK and during the distribution unveiled success stories as ex drug addicts were volunteering and proudly helping to deliver the food to the vulnerable families.

Implementing Partners: IOCC

Funders: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

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News

FHF facilitates healthy eating at school!

Preparing and cleaning the coarse bulgur for the moujaddara
Preparing and cleaning the coarse bulgur for the moujaddara

FHF established Al Hiraki Kitchen in Malaak’s school for Syrian Refugees in Minyara, Akkar in May 2016. The idea was to provide healthy meals to around 250 children attending the school to help them through their growth and learning process and offer them nutritious food they probably lack or have limited access to at home.

Group work: menu development
Group work: menu development

Accordingly, 2 empty classrooms were turned into a community kitchen were a team of 15 Syrian girls and mothers would prepare hot meals and sandwiches on a daily basis. A set of training on food safety, healthy nutrition, recipes’ standardization and menu development were provided to the kitchen’s team by FHF.

The ladies were very excited on the first day of cooking
The ladies were very excited on the first day of cooking

On June 1st, the nice smell of bulgur moujadara invaded the school as the ladies were testing their first recipe!

Malaak kids enjoying their first meal at school
The school kids obviously enjoyed their 1st meal as their dishes emptied one after the other
Categories
Community Kitchens (CK)

Khayrat Bekaena COOP – El Khiara, West Bekaa

Khayrat Bekaena COOP – El Khiara, West Bekaa

“Khayrat Bekaena COOP” was founded in 2013 by a group of locals from El Khiara, a small village in West Bekaa, to create job opportunities for the women in the area. This COOP is specialized in mouneh production, offering different lines of long-shelf live items: jams, pickles, kishk, olive oil, vinegar, tomato paste etc. The COOP is led by around 10 Syrian and Lebanese women who work depending on the season and the crops available for mouneh production.

The cooking ladies of Khiara CK
The cooking ladies of Khiara CK

FHF has contributed in expanding “Khayrat Bekaena”’s activities by adding a cooking unit to the cooperative and building the capacities of the kitchen’s team on food safety, healthy cooking and kitchen’s management. This unit allowed for the provision of food assistance in the area as well as the development of catering services. Currently, the COOP has reached and fed more than 1,000 vulnerable Syrian and Lebanese family in the area.

Implementing Partners: IOCC

Funders: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

Categories
Community Kitchens (CK)

Jamaat Al-Noor – Minyara, Akkar

Jamaat Al-Noor – Minyara, Akkar

Minyara is a Christian village located in the district of Akkar with a population ranging between 7,000 – 10,000. “Jamaat Al-Noor” is a Christian Orthodox women’s cooperative -located in Minyara – comprising around 15 women who run a kitchen that prepares Lebanese dishes for the elderly in the area and for catering events. This cooperative is directly affiliated to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Akkar and Dependencies located in Cheikh Taba, Akkar.

Minyara CK team
Minyara CK team

Jamaat Al-Noor’s community kitchen (CK) was the first kitchen supported by FHF during the Syrian crisis in 2013 to provide food assistance to vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian families. Since then, its cooking team -made up of Syrian and Lebanese ladies- has been joining efforts to cook traditional hot meals on a daily basis to feed hundreds of vulnerable families in the area. Up to date, Minyara’s CK has supported more than 1,000 vulnerable Syrian and Lebanese families.

Implementing Partners: IOCC

Funders: Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

Categories
News

More than 1000 Lebanese and Syrian families reached through our rural community kitchens

Tal Abbas settlement

LEB 15_Community Kitchen_ Minyara_Tel Abbas Camp (8)

 

The Food Heritage Foundation (FHF) in collaboration with the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) and the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), has been supporting community kitchens in Minyara, Akkar and El Khiara, West Bekaa since 2013 and 2014 respectively, with the ultimate goal to develop these hosting areas and feed vulnerable families. The idea of bringing women from the host and refugee communities together to produce healthy meals traditional to both cultures and distribute them to vulnerable families, came about in the early stages of the Syrian crisis, when Lebanon started observing large influx of refugees.

Bread distribution in Khiara, West Bekaa ©Tiziana Cauli IOCC
Bread distribution in Khiara, West Bekaa ©Tiziana Cauli IOCC

Currently, groups of Lebanese and Syrian ladies are leading the kitchens in Minyara and El Khiara and feeding up to 120 families a day. Besides the food assistance provided, the women are trained and encouraged to develop lines of products for sales such as jams, pickles, tomato paste, chocolates etc. This further empowers the ladies and increases their source of income.

Tal Abbas settlement
Dominique Anid, FHF Health and Nutrition Specialist, with children of Tal Abbas camp in Akkar ©Tiziana Cauli IOCC

In 2014, around 3,500 individuals benefited from the distribution of hot meals and bread parcels prepared by the community kitchens. Since January 2015, 2,000 individuals are receiving food in Akkar and West Bekaa. These distributions have been supported by the German organization “Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)”. All the recipes were chosen by the ladies themselves to insure cultural acceptability among beneficiary families and were supervised by FHF dietitians to increase their nutritional benefits.

Khiara Community Kitchen
Khiara Community Kitchen ©Tiziana Cauli IOCC

Testimonies from the ladies leading the community kitchens and the beneficiary families clearly show the benefits of such initiatives:

“Establishing this kitchen was brilliant, it supports and empowers the women working in it and it also supports the small shops and farmers in the area who are providing the vegetables, grains, meat…” (Najla, Kitchen Coordinator, El Khiara Community Kitchen)

Pots distribution in Akkar
Pots distribution  ©Tiziana Cauli IOCC

“The bread you’re distributing is of very good quality, the food reaching us is very reliable, and what is nice about it is that it is not too salty, those who want to add salt can do so; the quality of food is obviously controlled. Honestly, your project is helping families save a lot; most families were deprived from a hot meal or a bundle of bread at home.” (Ibrahim, Syrian, father of 5 children, Halba, Akkar)

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Miniara community kitchen team ©Tiziana Cauli IOCC
Categories
News

Khiara community kitchen feeding vulnerable populations in West Bekaa

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In September 2014, the Food Heritage Foundation (FHF) in collaboration with the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) got in touch with the “Khayrat Bekaena” women’s cooperative (COOP) in Khiara, West Bekaa.

khiara2

It is with great pleasure that FHF & IOCC decided to further support this women’s COOP who had been producing mouneh products for almost a year. In this line, a specialized cooking unit was added to their COOP for hot meals preparations and eventual catering activities. The Khayrat Bekaena‘s team of Lebanese and Syrian ladies took part in training workshops on food safety, standardized recipes, and managerial and entrepreneurial skills. Since March 2015, the ladies have been working jointly to produce hot meals distributed to 100 vulnerable Syrian and Lebanese families in Khiara and Rawda villages.

khiara3

This model helps address the immediate needs of the most vulnerable refugee and local families by providing them with pots of cooked food that can alleviate their food insecurity and increase their dietary diversity. It also creates an additional production line for the ladies hence providing them with an additional source of income.

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