Updates1
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Zada Kitchen Update: Finding Our Rhythm
Since launching, Zada Kitchen has gone through several phases as we've worked out what's actually sustainable, both for the kitchen and for the one person running it.
We started by operating every weekday. In practice, that meant one person handling social media, cooking, order follow-up, and delivery all at once, while our customer base was still small. Holding availability open all day for a handful of scattered orders wasn't effective, especially since we rely on fresh ingredients daily and can't stockpile.
We then partnered with a local pizzeria to run a breakfast menu for two months. The timing, though, made it hard to sustain: the genocide in Gaza was worsening by the day, which made promoting food and creativity feel out of step with what was happening, while the economy in the West Bank, where Zada Kitchen is based, was also declining, adding pressure from a different direction.
After that, the kitchen paused operations for several months.
Where we are now: Zada Kitchen has resumed delivery one day a week, with availability on other days for larger orders. This schedule reflects what we've learned; it lets us stay consistent with fresh ingredients and quality without spreading one person too thin across cooking, logistics, and outreach.
Every dish is made from scratch, using exclusive recipes Ahlam has developed herself, including vegan mansaf, qedreh, and shawarma. These recipes recreate the flavors and textures of the originals without animal products, continuing the same work behind Palestine's first vegan labneh.
Thank you for staying with us through these shifts. You can follow day-to-day updates and menus on Instagram: @zadakitchen.palestine
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Description
Whom you're supporting
Ahlam, co-founder of Vegan in Palestine (ViP), formerly worked as a human rights professional until December 2023 when she lost her job at a Palestinian non-profit civil society organization. The loss was a result of the suspension of funding by some European and North American governments following the Palestinian resistance attack on Israeli military bases on October 7th, marking the end of her 17-year career. It's noteworthy that the non-profit Palestinian sector has long depended on support from Western governments since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.
Simultaneous with the launch of Israeli aggression on Gaza in October 2023, several European and North American governments intensified pressure on Palestinians by suspending funding for Palestinian civil society. This tactic aimed to coerce Palestinians into resisting their own resistance movement. It underscores the conditional nature of Western support for Palestinians, contingent on compliance with Western notions of "peace making," often necessitating the suppression of colonized voices.
Ahlam had contemplated leaving the civil society sector since 2022, recognizing that Western governments funding the Palestinian Authority (PA) lacked genuine interest in a Palestinian state. Instead, they seemed intent on perpetuating the PA's status quo, characterized by unelected leadership, corruption, and the suppression of its own people, all to maintain Israel's security.
Towards a More Sustainable Career Path
Reinforcing perceptions of the Palestinian civil society sector, the seven-month livestreamed genocide and subsequent five months of unemployment, coupled with Western governments' suppression of pro-Palestine protests, strengthened Ahlam's resolve to pursue a more sustainable career path. Her ambition is to realize her dream project, Zada Kitchen, which aims to produce vegan alternatives for popular Palestinian foods, including meat and dairy substitutes, as well as to contribute to decolonizing the local food system. Ahlam, a certified vegan chef, was previously supported by ViP team to organize numerous vegan events before October 2023, introducing veganized versions of popular meals in Palestine and developing the recipe for Palestine's first vegan labneh, replicating the texture and flavors of dairy labneh.
Since December 2023, Ahlam has used her severance pay to cover rent for the house where Baladi rescue cats reside, as well as their food and litter expenses. Consequently, she seeks support to kickstart her Zada kitchen project. Zada is Ahlam’s first rescue cat, and she shares her home with other ten cats. Most of the cats have disabilities, ranging from blindness, one-eyed, mobility issues, to being deaf.
It's not just a kitchen!
Through the Vegan in Palestine initiative, Zada Kitchen will contribute to addressing the intersections of various systems of oppression and advancing the decolonization of the animal rights movement.
Call for action!
Support Zada Kitchen as a Palestinian social enterprise by donating, sharing the link with your networks, and contributing to covering 12 months of space rental, equipment and raw material supplies, as well as a 12-month salary for an assistant, aimed at decolonizing the local food system and inspiring others to follow suit.
This is way less than you deserve, but you are doing a wonderful thing for the world and I wish you good luck, safety and blooming success with the vegan kitchen!
Thank you very much!
🌱❤️ Liberation for all ❤️🌱
Thank you!