Chido was the worst cyclone to hit the region in 90 years, making landfall as a Category 4 cyclone and brought sustained winds of more than 136 mph. Public infrastructure on Mayotte was severely damaged or destroyed, including the airport and main hospital, electricity systems, and communications.
Mayotte, a small French department in the Indian Ocean, has a population of about 320,000 residents spread across two main islands and several smaller surrounding isles. It is the most densely populated and poorest French department and many residents lost everything in the storm, including their homes.
Our teams cooked from our Field Kitchen. At the same time, we worked alongside dozens of restaurant partners and supporting community kitchens to ensure families impacted by the storm received nourishing, comforting meals.
meals served
Restaurant Partners
of ingredients
distributed
WCK & partners surpass 1 million meals served
WCK 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.
WCK’s Mayotte Field Kitchen
Our Field Kitchen in Mayotte is up and running. We have already cooked thousands of meals, and we are scaling up production every day as we figure out better ways to work without running water.
Chefs For Mayotte
The Power of Community
Rachida and her team at Le Voulé, a partner on Grande-Terre, are adapting their usual operations to provide free meals to their community. By leaning into the knowledge of local chefs, WCK provides culturally appropriate dishes.
Meet Sitty Fatima
Sitty Fatima, owner of La Duchesse, one of WCK’s restaurant partner in Mayotte, has seen her business grow since starting out of her mother-in-law’s apartment. Grateful for the opportunity to open her own restaurant, she is now giving back to the community by supporting families impacted by Cyclone Chido.
Help us keep cooking for families impacted by Cyclone Chido.