In the beginning, Malaika didn’t have a specific place to distribute food. There was no kitchen, no facility. There was only a deep desire to help, and a heart beating strongly.
With the precious help of two women from the neighborhood, around a hundred meals were cooked every week. The aroma of rice and spices filled the air of a small room that had been kindly lent to us for the occasion. Once the meals were ready, they were packed into plastic containers, loaded one by one into my car, and then taken to an improvised meeting point, where they were handed out to those in greatest need.
I remember that day well – a couple of friends showed up to lend a hand. The photos tell it better than words: smiles, outstretched hands, grateful eyes. Small gestures that, when brought together, become something big.
From there, something changed. Thanks to the support of our donors, we were able to buy a small eatery. And there, every day, Salome – a woman with a huge heart and golden hands – lovingly prepares meals for Malaika. She has become our official cook, but to us she is much more: she is family.
And so, step by step, dream by dream, Malaika began to take shape.
