Gujarat Unique Community Living Kitchen: There is a village in Gujarat where people do not cook food in their homes. No morning rush, no worries about gas cylinder, no hassle in the kitchen. Instead, all the food is prepared in one place, in a shared kitchen, and then everyone sits together in the community hall and eats it. This is not an imagination of any film or story, but this is happening in real life in a small village of Chandanki in Gujarat. Here people not only eat food but also spend time with each other, talk, laugh and also share their feelings.
How did this kitchen start?
This unique system started with a big problem. Many youth of the village went to cities for work. Due to this, most of the elders in the village were left alone. Gradually his loneliness started increasing and life started feeling a bit difficult and ignored. Understanding this problem, village Sarpanch Poonambhai Patel gave a new and different idea. Poonam Bhai had previously lived in New York for about 20 years. Seeing the life and facilities there, he thought why not create a system in the village too where people do not live alone. He suggested that only one kitchen and one dining hall should be made for the entire village, where all the people would sit together and eat food.
A kitchen, a hall and the whole village together
Today, there is a central kitchen in Chandanaki village where traditional Gujarati food is prepared daily, the food here is as healthy and tasty as at home. People contribute around Rs 2000 every month and in return they get two meals a day. The cooks working in the kitchen are given a salary of around Rs 11,000, which makes this system sustainable.
How this unique community living is ending loneliness
The place where food is prepared and eaten is also special. The community hall of the village is completely air conditioned and runs on solar panels. This place is not just for eating, but has become a place for conversation and strengthening relationships. Here people sit together, eat food and share stories of their lives. Elders narrate their old experiences, women talk about family, friends laugh and joke and many people also openly express their loneliness.
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People had problems in the beginning
When this system was started, many people were against it. Some people felt that this would destroy the sense of home. Some people thought that it would not be right to give up cooking, but gradually when people saw its benefits, their thinking changed. Now the elderly do not have to worry about cooking food every day. They have more time to relax and meet people. This community kitchen not only provided food, but also connected people with each other. Now people in the village sit together, talk, help each other and live like a family. Where earlier there was loneliness, there is now a feeling of belonging.
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