A community kitchen in Afghanistan that serves more than food

It was a normal day in Gharmoshak village of Zinda Jan district in Herat province, when the earth suddenly shook with force. Guldasta was cooking in their mud house, while Mohammad Sadiq was working in his field. They both felt the ground tremble and heard a loud rumble. Guldasta ran out of their house, just in time to see it collapse into a pile of rubble.
They were not the only ones who lost everything. The earthquakes, measuring 6.3 in magnitude, left a trail of destruction impacting 2.2 million people. More than 1,400 have died, 11,000 were injured, and there is widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The survivors, mostly women and children, were mainly living in tents and were left hungry, homeless, and in need of help.
“We're not alone, someone cares about us.”
Amid the catastrophe and despair, UNDP through its partner Care Afghanistan, enabled their existing 15 women-led community kitchens to cook and serve hot and nutritious meals for thousands of affected people in the communities. The community kitchens in Herat started distributing food on 7 September and extended their services on 8 October to support families affected by the earthquake. With 147 women cooking and 3 men assisting in distribution, they now provide over 2,200 free meals daily to the communities in need. Since they began, they've delivered about 153,000 hot meals to the people who are facing food insecurity including 13,000 to families affected by earthquake.
“The earthquake was a nightmare. We lost everything we had. I am just a simple woman, struggling to feed my children or find a bread for us at night. But then, a miracle happened. We received hot meals in our tent!” said Guldasta. “For a moment, I forgot my troubles and felt thankful.”
“When they give us hot meals, even if only for a moment, it's like a weight lifted off our shoulders. We have a thousand worries, but for that short time, we can forget about most of them. It might not seem like much, but in our tough lives, it means the world. It shows us that we're not alone, someone cares about us,” said Sadiq.
Beyond providing meals, the community kitchens also promote social cohesion and empower women and youth, who are preparing and distributing the meals.
The community kitchen not only provides meals, but is also a source of empowerment and resilience. The initiative which is funded by the Government of Japan and launched by the UNDP Afghanistan under its ABADEI programme, has proven to be a lifeline for the affected communities. With 47 community kitchens established across five provinces, where women and men work together to prepare meals, they have exceeded expectations by feeding 86,870 people. The local communities, elders, and authorities have embraced this initiative; inspiring many women to initiate similar projects.
The recent earthquakes in Herat have not only exposed the immediate need for aid but also highlighted the longstanding challenges faced by Afghanistan-four decades of conflict, high poverty rates, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis. Learn more about UNDP’s response and appeal.

[@TahirKhan_official1]

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[@khairulbashar9651]

Assalamualaikum every Afghanistani from green city Rajshahi Bangladesh

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[@sherrimcferran3641]

Regarding Social Cohesion: shouldn't more females wear Light-colored Head Scarves ?

[@sherrimcferran3641]

... because: how is Physical abuse Revealed there ?