“I count the days until next Monday’s class” Helen a young mother excitedly told us.
She lives in family Home Office accommodation, two bus rides away from our kitchen space. She was referred by a family social worker in the borough and took a big step in coming for the first time on her own. Like many of our women she had to leave the support of extended family and despite speaking intermediate English, she struggles with isolation and cultural dislocation.
After her first time with us, she said she’d been waiting for a group like this for ages. When her turn came to cook, she prepared dishes from her country with pride and excitement, teaching us what to say before the meal in her language. This dynamic of being a host, welcoming us with their food and culture is a way for these women to recreate family, helping their journeys of adaptation to what is often a strange and disorientating environment.