WCK and Partners Surpass 1 Million Meals Served in Mayotte
Since serving our first plates of food in Mayotte five weeks ago, World Central Kitchen and dedicated partners have overcome significant challenges, including lack of cooking supplies and a second storm. To date, we have served more than one million meals, thanks to the local cooks in our Field Kitchen and 50+ restaurant partners.
Cyclone Chido caused wide-scale destruction, cutting off access to essential resources across Mayotte. Consistent running water has been a particular challenge, and our team has gotten creative, treating rainwater to be able to use it to clean pots and pans. We worked with local city councils, schools, and individuals who were already cooking for their neighbors to build a foundation of local chefs who we supplied with ingredients. Dozens of community members have also joined in, helping cook, pack, and distribute nourishing meals.
“Having a hot meal is like feeling warmth during a desperate time,” said Naima, a local team member. Like many others, she and her family lost access to running water and electricity when the cyclone hit. Naima is critical to our scouting process and helps identify new partners.
Naima, WCK Team Member
Likewise, Chef Rachida Mohamed and her team at Le Voulé restaurant on Petite Terre suddenly found themselves with no customers and a desire to give back to their community.
“We normally prepare food as caterers,” she said, “But now, we’ve changed our restaurant. We’ve turned it into a collective, so we can integrate into WCK teams to provide help to the people in need.”
Chef Rachida and her team’s expertise in large-scale cooking has been critical to expanding our operations. Their background in catering allows them to work quickly, making meals for as many people as possible in a relatively short time. They also ensure meals meet Halal standards, a vital consideration for Mayotte’s predominantly Muslim population. Every meal prepared in Mayotte has been Halal, providing culturally appropriate comfort to families.
Lack of kitchen essentials like pots and pans is another one of the major challenges our team has faced. This forced us to be innovative, turning over few cooking implements as quickly as possible to cook round after round of rice and stew. Some members of the community even brought their own family heirloom pots to cook for their neighbors.
In January, a second storm forced our team, chefs, and partners to shelter in place, temporarily pausing operations. Once safe to do so, our teams resumed cooking and are now producing an average of about 39,000 hot meals daily.
Despite immense destruction, Mayotte’s residents are taking steps forward by sharing meals with each other. “Little by little, the path is long, but we are already on it,” says Chef Rachida.
