Switzerland: inclusive cooking events
Cooking up an initiative to help asylum seekers in Switzerland.
Cuisine sans frontières uses cooking to improve the quality of life and promote social interaction in areas of tension. In Zurich, they organise monthly cooking events with asylum seekers and locals, preparing meals together, to foster community in a diverse group.
Fostering positive connections between diverse groups
Given Givaudan’s essential links with the food industry, it was a natural fit for volunteers to collaborate with Cuisine sans frontières. In 2020, volunteers from Kemptthal, Switzerland, connected with the partner organisation to aid with cooking events together with asylum seekers. Due to Covid, however, the programme of activities only began in 2022. Our support helps provide nutritious ingredients for the participants to use during ‘cooking afternoons’, and promotes a healthy diet, by recommending nourishing recipes. It also facilitates more relaxed interactions for asylum seekers, for whom the only contact in Switzerland is often with the formal authorities.
Givaudan employees volunteer their time and assistance
Volunteers actively take part in the cooking events where they help to organise, under the supervision of a chef, the preparation of a meal for up to 500 people. They also enjoy entertaining the asylum seekers’ children, preparing games, often around fragrance and flavours. Support is also provided with recipe cards prepared for the participants so that when they are back in the community they can buy, prepare and cook easy, affordable meals, rich in shelf-stable ingredients. Following the positive feedback from all parties, Givaudan employees will again participate in cooking events in 2023.
Being part of this initiative, has been a humbling experience. I have learnt first-hand the human stories, and see the real people behind the headlines, while actively helping to improve the experiences of asylum seekers. I am grateful for this opportunity.
Anita, Givaudan volunteer
