Community Kitchen initiative

 

As part of the Chemicals Business Community Relations Program, we have successfully launched a program called 'Community Kitchen' (commonly known as the 'Chulla Ghar') at Machar Colony near our Head Office in Karachi, on June 16, 2009.  The Chemicals CSR team has been working on this project in collaboration with Concern for Children (CFC), an NGO running various projects in Karachi, of which a few are based in Machar Colony and are geared towards improving the lives of those in the area. 

Putting up a Community Kitchen was a pilot project, an idea conceived by CFC, and the first of its kind in Pakistan. The Chemicals Business, in line with ICI Pakistan's CSR policy, agreed to help CFC in getting this off the ground and to contribute in future, for its continued success in the form of a) financial support (kitchen equipment), b) using this as a platform for conducting health and safety talks to create awareness on the subject for the residents of the colony c) arranging guest speakers to help women adopt better cooking practices, and (d) to provide women of the colony an opportunity to save on fuel cost and cook food for their homes in a safe and clean environment.

The launch ceremony was a two-hour session at the kitchen site. Representatives from CFC, senior landlords of the area, women members of the Community Kitchen and the Chemicals Business CSR team responsible for initiating and leading this project, were all present.  Approximately 30 women and over 20 children, all residents of the colony, attended this ceremony and were briefed by representatives from CFC and ICI on the benefits of the kitchen, ICI Pakistan's CSR program, and CFC's mission for continued support to the cause.

Feedback on this facility has been very positive.  Benefits and the clear positive impact of using the Chulla Ghar seem to be very clear to the women using it. This is visible in the growing number of women in attendance since the kitchen’s soft opening some two months ago.  These members and the CFC staff have been proactive in spreading the word in their localities; needless to say, due to social norms, acceptance of such a facility can be quite a challenge in a conservative society like Machar Colony. In future, it is our intention to continue to support CFC on launching other similar outlets within the Machar Colony and other areas, and contribute to the society.