How about a traditional Afghan dish instead of schnitzel and the like during your lunch break? This idea could soon become reality. Because according to SZ The idea of a food truck offering traditional dishes from the refugees' countries of origin was a convincing one at the Social Entrepreneurship Akademie workshop. Now, work is underway to bring RefugEAT to the streets.
Help for self-help
#RefugeesWelcome – This was the motto of a workshop held by Social Entrepreneurship Akademie Munich last November. Sixteen refugees and six students from Munich's colleges and universities participated and jointly developed ideas and concepts for social enterprises by, for, or with refugees. The prerequisites for participation in the workshop were good English skills and university experience or eligibility for university admission.
In addition to concrete project ideas, the workshop was primarily intended to promote interaction between all participants and counteract the boredom that comes with the (often) long waiting period of an asylum procedure. It also aimed to show refugees opportunities for self-realization in their new homeland.
Trend: Food truck
At the end of the workshop, an idea was chosen as the winner, which reflects the current trend Food truck takes up: The RefugEAT–Food truck will offer traditional dishes from the refugees' home countries for sale. But that's not all. The truck will also be organized and run by refugees, thus offering them a future.
The idea is for the food to be sold outside businesses during the day as a cafeteria alternative. In the evening, the truck can stop at refugee shelters and provide the people living there with a taste of home in the form of food. The RefugEAT food truck is intended to be self-sustaining and not dependent on donations.
So far, the RefugEAT concept has been conceived. Now it's time to develop a business plan and find partners. However, implementing the idea also presents several challenges. The biggest problem is the lack of work permits for many asylum seekers. A solution to this still needs to be found. But once this hurdle is overcome, RefugEAT will likely soon be rolling out onto Munich's streets.
