To alleviate the impacts of COVID-19 policies, many initiatives have been developed by civil society organisations – NGOs, local governments, or citizens. A team of national researchers from the RESISTIRÉ project has collected and highlighted a set of particularly relevant initiatives in 27 European countries and in Iceland, Serbia, the United Kingdom and Turkey. These Better Stories cover eight specific domains: gender-based violence, the labour market, the economy, gender-pay and pension gaps, gender care gaps, decision-making and politics, environmental justice, human and fundamental rights.
This Better Story was collected by Marloes van Engen
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jaleesa den Haanin launched a project in the northern part of Rotterdam, known as Rotterdam Noord. Twice a week, dedicated volunteers delivered food to vulnerable individuals confined to their homes. This initiative started from Ketu Kitchen, a local bakery and café situated in the same area, which unfortunately had to shut its doors due to the lockdown.
An innovative project
In response to the challenging circumstances, Ketu Kitchen initiated “Ketu Care.” This innovative project involved preparing meals that community members could collect twice a week. Ketu Kitchen established a volunteer organization aiming at catering to vulnerable communities unable to leave their homes.
Compassion and resilience
Ketu Care demonstrated its resilience through envolving into WISE. The bakery dedicated its proceeds to sustain the ongoing mission of delivering meals to vulnerable individuals. This multifaceted approach ensured the continuation of meal services while introducing reduced-price food options for the ones who can’t afford the full-price.
Image of Ismael Paramo from Unsplash