Women-led community kitchens supporting resilience after TC Lola
Above: Community consultations and women’s leadership have been key to the success of the Dorosday Komuniti Kitjins in Vanuatu in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Lola. Photo: ActionAid Vanuatu
On October 24, 2023, category 5 Tropical Cyclone Lola hit Vanuatu, causing widespread damage. ActionAid Vanuatu facilitated a women-led response through the Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (WITTT) network, with the support of the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.
Above: A community consultation on the kitchen on Maskylines Island. Photo: ActionAid Vanuatu
In response to the needs identified by the WITTT network in the aftermath of TC Lola, two community kitchens were established in Lamap and Maskylines island, in the south-east of Malekula. These community kitchens were created to provide a safe and supportive environment for women to not only cook and share meals, but also to talk about their needs and organise their resilience. The collaborative process in which they were created, through consultation with WITTT women leaders, community chiefs and elders, has ensured their success and positive impact on communities.
Above: A community consultation on the kitchen in Lamap. Photo: ActionAid Vanuatu
The Dorosday Komuniti Kitjin (Dorosday Community Kitchen or DKK) is the first ever of its kind in Vanuatu, with the intention to break down gender barriers, give women the opportunity to lead, provide a safe space for women to talk about their needs and organise their resilience, and share food in the community. As such, it was necessary that there was proper consultation between WITTT women leaders and community leaders.
The establishment of the Dorosday Komuniti Kitjin involved several steps:
1. Consultation: A consultation workshop was held with 22 WITTT Leaders of Lamap, Maskylines and Akhamb on the concept of the community kitchen and establishing collective consensus and ownership of the kitchens. Subsequently, the community chiefs and elders were involved to seek collective endorsement and address any concerns or suggestions.
2. Site selection: Following consultations with the WITTT Leaders and chiefs, an old cooperative building in Sector 2 area (Lamap) and an old Women's Clubhouse (Maskylines) were chosen for renovation and conversion into community kitchens. It is important that the buildings be renovated to use as the community kitchen: the women and youth are working on the joint efforts to renovate the building which was allocated, approved and endorsed by the council of chiefs.
3. Naming: The community kitchens were named Dorosday Komuniti Kitjin in honour of the work of late Dorosday Kenneth, former Director General of Women’s Affairs and contributor to the founding of ActionAid Vanuatu and WITTT. This gesture acknowledged and honoured her legacy and contributions to the women's movement in Vanuatu.
4. Procurement and shipment of construction materials: Materials for renovation, kitchen start-up packs (including pots, plates, cups and cutlery), and bulk food items were procured and shipped to both locations, ensuring the readiness of the community kitchens where the local woman will contribute by also bringing food from their gardens.
“I was very worried after TC Lola passed because we were just recovering from the twin cyclone that went past us in March that destroyed all our gardens and fruit trees. Our gardens are just starting to bear the first fruits of banana and then TC Lola came and destroyed all the bananas again. How are we going to survive as banana is one of our stable foods here in Lamap? I am happy to hear about this Community Kitchen and I know it’s going to relieve my burden to feed my 4 children,” said Helen, a young mother of two children living in Lamap.
Initially intended to run for six months, the community asked that it be run for the next twelve months or more, describing it as a space that will assist them with food security and also act as a meeting space to connect rebuild, organise and learn to engage on humanitarian response.
The Dorosday Komuniti Kitjin has demonstrated the transformative power of women leaders to collaboratively respond to the needs of their community, build community resilience and provide a safe space for women to support their families in the face of climate change and increasing disasters.
The Dorosday Komuniti Kitjin were supported through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response to TC Lola, funded by the Australian Government.