Idia’s Community Kitchen
Charity aims to tackle food poverty among families with its van donated by the Irish Traveller community
Aina Omo-Bare holds up some pies
“The Traveller community is tight knit because they were brought up poor – so they understand the plight,” says ‘Uncle Tom’, an Irish Traveller who, together with his community, raised enough money to buy a new food van for Idia’s Community Kitchen.
He continues: “I was in church, doing my prayers, when I got a message from God. I started going to soup kitchens around Hackney, where I met Aina, who told me about the good work she does.
“I did a collection with the Traveller community and they gave £20 here and £50 there until we raised enough money to buy a van, which a friend refurbished and converted into a food van.”
Idia’s Community Kitchen is a Hackney charity that provides free food to vulnerable people. Its aim is to reduce food waste and tackle poverty in the community.
Aina Omo-Bare, the charity’s founder, explains: “This van is such a gift. There’s a proper cooker, two microwaves, a fridge and a freezer, and a sink. With this van we want to tackle food poverty among school children.”
Omotayo Agbaje, trustee of Idia’s Kitchen, adds: “Food opens doors. When we have food on the table people come and we can signpost them to organisations who can best support them.”
On a relentlessly cold and wet day, a long queue of people snakes its way outside Fellows Court Community Centre, E2, where trestle tables – alongside the new van – have been set up.
The tables are piled high with fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, bread, tins of food, and delicious home cooked dishes – made by Aina – for people to take away.
Aina explains: “I do this because my background is all about giving. In Nigeria my mum would cook big pots of food because she said when you sit together to eat as a community, you never hate. Everyone becomes your brother or sister.
“In England my daughter, Idia, used to come with me to the West End to give homeless people warm drinks and snacks. She would talk to them and many of the homeless people became her friends.”
Watch: how the Traveller community bought a food van for charity
When Idia tragically passed away at the age of 10 after drinking contaminated tap water in Nigeria, Aina wanted to create something positive in her memory.
She says: “My friend Sue suggested we set up a charity to help feed the homeless, and she registered it as ‘Idia’s Community Kitchen’. It’s been running for seven years now.”
Today, Idia’s Kitchen provides free hot meals, food parcels, and essential items to hundreds of people experiencing homelessness, poverty, or isolation. The charity also focuses on reducing food waste by using rescued food to cook nutritious meals.
Aina continues: “I’d rather not buy food if I don’t have to because there is so much waste. We’d also like to set up an upcycling space for us to fix broken chairs, fridges, microwaves and other electric goods.
“Most of the people that have donated are from the Irish Traveller community – and they don’t even know me. They don’t know us here.
“They are helping to make sure that the world is a better place, and helping us to put a smile on the faces of the people we meet.”