“Kuchnia Konfliktu”:

On-line Cooking event in Poland

On 19 December, Saturday afternoon, Polish Migration Forum has organized the second MEET online event – and this time it was about cooking!

We have partnered with a migrant-co-run restaurant “Kuchnia Konfliktu” (which in Polish means “The Kitchen of Conflict”). It is a bistro, where refugees and migrants take turns to cook lunches and ready-to-go meals, as well as pickles, hummus and other dishes. This is a social project run by a Polish social activist. It promotes migrant cousine along with a general culture of openness and also gives jobs to people who need it.

Our event was co-run by Jarmila, the host of the place, and Khava, who is a refugee from Chechna, and a Muslim.

She was showing how to cook Chechen dumplings and pasta in a potato sauce.

While cooking, she was also sharing stories about herself, her life in Poland, herself being a Muslim. She shared her own experience and decision to stop wearing a scarf.

The meeting was a nice evening with cooking – and indeed 38 participants cooked along, following Khava’s instructions and having all the ingredients ready to follow the cooking class.

Khava does not wear hijab, even though she is Muslim. During the live she has given quite a lot of insight about her own experience of fleeing Chechna, following her husband and arriving to Poland to seek asylum.

Khava does not wear hijab, even though she is Muslim. During the live she has given quite a lot of insight about her own experience of fleeing Chechna, following her husband and arriving to Poland to seek asylum.

Khava came to Poland in hijab. It was here she decided to change her life decisions. She divorced a violent husband. She also took off the hijab – but she remains to be Muslim. She took the hijab off to avoid strange looks, to stand out on the street and to feel secure in the new country. It was also a way to demonstrate individual approach and freedom after the divorce in her case.