Healthy food classes and training in Medellin

Hola!

As many people saw in the news, there was a devastating earthquake in Colombia in August, and Quibdó (capital of Chocó province) was heavily impacted with structural damage to many buildings and homes.

We worked with our friends at the Spirit of Big 5 Foundation to do some emergency relief activities in Quibdó: we sent 3 food carts from Vía Cocina to Quibdó after cleaning, modifying and replacing parts to make them work like new, and I followed them to Chocó where I found them severely damaged in transit, and had to find local welders to fix them with me. It was a lot of work under pressure, but we were able to help 2 women who lost their food cart in the earthquake rubble to start their business again, and since we provided a cart with an additional grill, they are planning to expand their menu beyond fried dishes to include healthier options too.

Another food cart will be used to train Julia, mother of 5, to prepare and sell food to earn a living to support her family. In addition to the food cart, we supplied new pots, pans and utensils, plus propane tanks and some funds to buy the initial food to be transformed. This food cart will also be used by the OBAPO local NGO to participate in food festivals and earn income for all the women and for the organization to help them become self sustaining. We also provided larger pots, a portable burner and propane tank, and some funds so the organization can continue to offer popup community snacks and meals around the city paired with wellness workshops to help citizens cope with the mental and financial stress of the current situation.

The third food cart went to Ana's restaurant/community centre/women's cooperative, where their existing burners were damaged when the extractor fell on top of them during the earthquake. We have provided a machine with grill and burners plus baine-marie/frying vat, so they can continue to focus on healthier ways of cooking local dishes. 

In addition to the food cart, we purchased materials to replace the rooftop that caved in under the earthquake, including PVC tiles, metal structure and a false ceiling, cement, bricks and ceramics to reconstruct damaged walls and sinks, and additional materials necessary to get back up and running. It is a challenge to find reliable workers at the moment, and I could only stay 5 days to make sure all the materials were delivered and the work started, so I will continue to follow up until all work is complete and the women can reopen their business.

We are also supporting local textile/fashion organization Dartexa to assist 5 of their employees' families' home reconstrucion efforts in addition to providing work and money to pay salaries to all of their employees who were affected by the cancellation of this year's local festival, which is the main source of income for many of these women who spend months preparing costumes for the celebration and then live months off of the earnings. We are purchasing shirts from them to help with their campaign, and once received we will try to sell them to tourists and clients in Medellín visiting Vía Cocina so we can continue to purchase more from Dartexa and continue to support the women and organization in a self-sustaining way.

We also made an afro Brazilian meal for a group of women receiving a wellness workshop, where we used local ingredients to serve Brazilian dishes to local Afro Colombians who had never cooked or eaten ripe plantains in the moqueca dish in their life: it was a huge success, and the restaurant owners are interested in collaborating with us in the future to learn more about ways to transform the local ingredients into different dishes from around the world.

Thanks for your continued support and collaboration!

Brian