Charity kitchen in Samarra serves hope and meals to the needy

SALAH AL-DIN – Needy locals line up outside the charity kitchen in Samarra’s Al-Dhubat neighborhood as volunteers inside fill plates with white rice and meat stew. Anyone hungry here can get a free meal from this renowned kitchen, which has been serving hope and hearty meals since July 2021.

What began as a modest effort to distribute soup and bread in this town in Salah Al-Din governorate has grown into a culinary lifeline for about 1,150 people daily, including underprivileged families, workers, orphanages, internally displaced persons, and students.

Now in its fourth year, the kitchen isn’t just serving meals; it’s delighting taste buds with new dishes like okra with meat, habbit (an Iraqi traditional dish of meat and rice), and chicken. They’ve also added a bakery and a drinking water purification station to expand their services to local residents.

Fuad Salih, the kitchen’s dedicated chef, shares his daily routine: “I’ve been here since day one, receiving 250 kilos of rice and 350 kilos of meat daily from the storekeeper. During Ramadan, we kick it up to 500 kilos of meat. We whip up two meals a day based on the menu from the kitchen management.”

Originally, the kitchen produced 1,750 meals daily. This year, with most internally displaced individuals having returned home and students on summer break, they’re down to about 1,150 meals. Despite this, the kitchen’s spirit remains strong. Unlike before, it now operates all week long, including Fridays.

Rafal Ismail, the head of the kitchen, proudly says, “The charity kitchen in Samarra represents a humanitarian message that strengthens the values of cooperation and participation among community members. Through combined efforts and donations, the kitchen has become a haven for the needy, satisfying their hunger and enhancing their sense of security and dignity.”