Community kitchens step up in spite of hurdles
Large pots filled with boiled vegetables and steaming rice are a common sight in some areas in and around Colombo. These are the community kitchens providing some kind of nourishing meal to the needy as the country's economic woes worsen.
However, even these community kitchens are affected by the severe shortage of fuel and cooking gas.
The kitchen in Rajagiriya run by the Voice for Voiceless Foundation is now on its 12th day of operation, and is open to anyone. On Friday, the kitchen which provides cooked meals to about 150 people daily, was unusually packed. Among those availing themselves of a meal were those visiting the Immigration and Emigration Department.
However, due to transportation constraints, the Rajagiriya community kitchen is finding it difficult to get vegetables and other essentials.
“The number of people who came to the community kitchen on Friday was much higher than the last few days. More than 220 people showed up for lunch in the makeshift kitchen,” Pastor Moses Akash, Director of Voice for Voiceless Foundation said.
The Foundation has six community kitchens islandwide - Rajagiriya, Kadawatha, Negombo, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Delft Island. They also plan to start one in Kollupitiya. The Foundation also runs elders' homes and a shelter for underprivileged children.
“With the fuel shortage, we have been unable to visit the other community kitchens as we have to spend 16-20 hours in queues to get sufficient fuel. We have made an appeal to Power and Energy Minister
Kanchana Wijesekara to provide a special pass for fuel for people who are conducting community work,” he said.
These six community kitchens serve an average of 700 meals each day. However, due to the lack of fuel, only six of the usually 20 volunteers were present at the Rajagiriya community kitchen on Friday.
The community kitchen programmes organised by Sarvodaya and Singularity Sri Lanka continue to mainly serve low income flat dwellers and slum dwellers in Colombo City. These community kitchens are held weekly and the concept is different.
These organisations mainly offer basic advice to the residents. After the first few programmes, residents in the neighbourhood must cook their meals in the makeshift kitchen while the two organisations help with supplies and monitor the operations.
These kitchens - two in Panchikawatta and one in Grandpass - are are continuing in the face of difficulties while they hope to begin new ones in the flats in Meethotamulla, Kolonnawa and Wellampitiya.
One of their new community kitchens that began on Tuesday at St Joseph’s Church, Grandpass had over 1,700 people who were provided dinner, Thakshi Fernando, Coordinating Officer of Singularity Sri Lanka said.
“Volunteers are aiding us in the continuation of the programme. We provide cooked meals and dry food to these communities,” she said.