Alok Institute and Associação Gastromotiva (Gastromotiva Association), came together to represent and indorse everyone’s right to have adequate food, and to support food and nutrition education.
Gastromotiva prioritizes the professional qualification of low-income youth and adults, and local development of communities and peripheral territories whose populations are in a social vulnerable situation. Gastromotiva works are based on 53 social kitchens in Brazilian communities located in Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro; in São Paulo, State of São Paulo; and in Curitiba, State of Paraná.
Founded by chef and social entrepreneur David Hertz, the Social Kitchens act directly to fight hunger and food waste.
Through the partnership with Gastromotiva, Instituto Alok supports Vanessa Sant’Ana’s chef, a 45-year-old entrepreneur who lives in Bangu (RJ) and its dedication allows it to offer 1,200 meals a month to vulnerable citizens.
Vanessa is graduated from the course “Entrepreneurship: Make and Sell” at Gastromotiva. She owns Alecrim Healthy Gastronomy, a micro-enterprise started in 2018 with a focus on healthy frozen meals.
In addition to providing nutritious vegan food, its kitchen also offers professional training to drug addicts, who are undergoing treatment in therapeutic communities, through workshops on cooking techniques, good practices in food service, and vegetable-based recipes, among others.
Journey
Currently, Vanessa has a full scholarship (100%) at UNISUAM university, where she studies Nutrition, and divides her time between Solidarity Kitchen, her business and her studies. Vanessa’s family income comes from her business, where she has the operational support of her husband, Laercio Luz, who is also a cook.
Since June 2020, she has been leading a Solidary Gastromotive Kitchen within her residence, in the Aliança Village community, Bangu (RJ). Its kitchen produces vegetable-based meals, and weekly serves 300 homeless people, socially vulnerable families, and drug addicts.
About Gastromotiva:
Association that uses food as a tool for social transformation through education, inclusion and combating waste. It works to generate positive social impact in Brazil, Mexico and El Salvador, and supports social gastronomy projects around the world through the Social Gastronomy Movement.
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*(learn more about the partnership with Gastromotiva in Social Kitchen)
