‘Our whole day is spent in hunger’: How community kitchens in Afghanistan work to feed families in need

“We come to this kitchen, and we get inspired,” said Qadeera Mahmoudi, one of the kitchen staff in Tawheed. “We learn to cook different kinds of food from each other. This program gives us a lot of morale. We are busy with work, we have salaries here and it’s good for our economy as well.”

‘Our whole day is spent in hunger’

Fatima, a Tawheed Abad community member and self-described “proud daughter,” told me about her daily routine at the community kitchen and offered a glimpse into what life is like there.

It would be understandable to assume the regime change and the re-instatement of the education ban would have broken the spirits of Afghan women. In many cases, it has. Women are bearing the brunt of the changes, and in many households, it is the woman who leads.

Because of the country’s ongoing economic crisis, it’s often up to the woman to work and to support her household.

But what does this mean? If women cannot work, if women cannot continue their education, what happens then? What hope is there? How can they effectively lead?

“In Tawheed Abad, our whole day is spent in hunger,” Fatima said.

“Every day we come to this Community Kitchen, and we take food. This is a great service for us. Before we had only tea and bread to eat. Now it is good that we come and are given these meals.”

She went on to describe her situation and that of many others in her community.

“There is poverty here, nothing can be found. I just arrived on foot. I have an old husband. I have no job. I don’t have anyone to work. I don’t have anyone abroad.

“I come here every day. I bring a pot and take food away. I live in a rented house and there are ten of us in the house and the food that we have been taking from the Community Kitchen is enough.”

The kitchen staff is made up of 10 people, split equally between men and women. Each day, this small team cooks meals for up to 150 people, at no charge. The meals usually consist of rice, meat, and soup, and on occasion Ashak, an authentic Afghan dish like a dumpling, filled with either meats and spices or vegetables.

“People come here, they order food, we take people’s orders, we cook all kinds of food, such as bulani, burger, samosa, and soup,” Qadeera said. “We prepare a lot of different things here.”

Previously, CARE operated three Community Kitchens here, but recently added three more. With this increase, CARE can reach more people in need, serving up to 900 meals a day. This program has also expanded to Herat province and has played a crucial role in distributing food to people affected by last year’s devastating earthquakes.

One of many programs in Afghanistan

“This Community Kitchen not only shaped my mental health but also helped me to start my business, they enhanced my capacity and encouraged me to take risk and do some business activities, where now I have an income source and could fulfill my dreams and the dreams of my family,” said Shakar, a program participant.

CARE Afghanistan plays a critical role in several Afghan provinces, implementing programs that transform lives. Their work focuses on essentials like healthcare, food security, nutrition, building resilience, and supporting economic recovery.

“Within the walls of a Community Kitchen, women find empowerment in their diverse skills, social cohesion grows, and the ecosystem thrives as sustainable practices are embraced,” said Reshma Azmi, Deputy Director of CARE Afghanistan.

* Community kitchens observed in August 2023