Community Project: Sanctuary in The Kitchen

“For me cooking is a way to share my culture. I have felt very isolated in the UK and remember times when back home I would cook with my family in Afghanistan. I want to share something positive about Afghanistan. And to learn from others. For me, cooking and sharing food would be a powerful way to do this.” Sanctuary in The Kitchen student lead.

Sanctuary in the Kitchen is a cooking and cultural exchange project led by members of the UEA sanctuary community. The project enables the sanctuary community and their family members to come together to cook and share food, music and dance from their home countries.
The UEA sanctuary scholar leading the project explains further what the project means to her; "we all feel excited about having the opportunity to cook together. It can be hard to feel excited when there is so many difficulties – and our home countries have such challenges. But food is a part of us. It is something positive from our home countries. Our food is our identity in Afghanistan. The first thing we will talk to someone about, is our food. It is what ties us. As I look to find new ties in a country far from my homeland, food and cooking may help me”.

The first Sanctuary in the The Kitchen feast will take place in July, with future feasts due to take place during the following academic year, 2023/4.

For further information on the project, please email: university.of.sanctuary@uea.ac.uk.