Room 2: Food

Food occupies a central place in daily life. The gathering, sourcing, sharing and distribution of food during the pandemic is documented here. Ways of preparing and cooking food can be expressions of culture, place and identity. Cooking can be a chore or it can contribute to a sense of happiness, health and wellbeing. Food offers a lens through which to view how society treats its most vulnerable members. Many asylum seekers and refugees experienced hunger during lockdown. Through food banks and acts of kindness, many expressed solidarity and care.

01: A family of asylum seekers are suffering under lockdown, but have found that making blackberry jam and sharing it with neighbours keeps them going.

01

"Have you ever picked some ripe blackberries during summer? You know blackberries are excellent plants to have around. You can see them all across Swansea. They really spring out during summer between June and August. They are high in vitamins, minerals and beneficial antioxidants. They are low in calories and fat as well.

A ripe blackberry is deep black colour with slightly tender consistency. Make sure to only pick the berries that are completely black. Our story with blackberries began during the pandemic. Throughout Summer, especially on rainy days, I have been going out to pick blackberries with my children. It became a sort of custom for us. I think there is something priceless about having a piece of fresh fruit you have picked yourself. I often felt like I was the only one picking blackberries and people stared at us as whilst we were picking them, it was funny for us when staying at home.

Blackberries are so expensive at shops compared to other fruits but they’re free if you like picking them. Because it is a thorny plant, it can hurt you sometimes. I can hear your question: What were you doing with these blackberries? Well, sometimes we just pick them to eat, but most of the time I was making blackberry jam."

02: Watercolour blueberries painted during lockdown.

03: Empty shelves in a supermarket in the UK.

04: A person describes their husband learning to cook during lockdown.

04

“My husband has always promised to cook for me and that has never been possible because he has to work full time and has never had the time. Since the lockdown began we have had a lot of time together because he didn’t have to commute to work. This has presented us with the opportunity to make food together. Each week he would prepare something new for us. That was so much fun. He would enjoy preparing a new meal from a different cuisine each time and we all enjoyed having it together. I can say that lockdown was an opportunity for him to discover how talented he was when it comes to cooking. It also meant that I had to spend less time in the kitchen.”

05: A Syrian family living in England were finally able to visit friends after almost three months for a birthday party with their children.

06: A family has made the most of lockdown by growing vegetables in their garden, which keeps the children busy and eating fresh vegetables without having to go to the shop to buy them.

07

“I am a student who has completed my course of studies and am currently in my search year. The coronavirus has severe repercussions for my work as a freelancer working with the Deliveroo company. There is fear in my heart because of the coronavirus, but the orders with fees keep on tempting me. I am in a dilemma – my life and survival in The Hague as a migrant student depend on paying my bills, family responsibilities from abroad, upkeep, and my health, another dilemma. Unfortunately, the fees which were tempting me from staying safe at home started vanishing due to the low level of customers ordering food from restaurants. The small orders usually result in Deliveroo lowering the fees for riders in order to make a profit themselves. I faced a big blow when Deliveroo realized that there were fewer riders on the road and introduced the free login system, compared to the booked session system where cyclists booked sessions to work every week. Due to the free login system, a rider can now work any time from 9:00am to 12:00am. This allows many riders into the system at once, coupled with people not ordering so much, which makes the earnings very low.

There are many days, especially from Monday to Wednesday, that I go out from morning till evening and hardly earn 50 euros. Customer orders are low these days. My colleagues and I usually sit or stand at The Hague center. I used to earn 100 euros a day before the coronavirus. Now I have to struggle to make 50. Hence, my earnings have suddenly been reduced, and out of the 50 euros, I have to remit to my family abroad, pay tax, pay bills among other things.

Due to the effects of the coronavirus on my earnings, I wish I had some financial support. However, this is tough to find. Many clauses are attached to the financial support scheme, and as a migrant worker, it is challenging to access it. Though I face lots of difficulties in these trying times, I have not gotten any support from anybody. Deliveroo is my only source of income. It is difficult for me to find a job because I don't understand Dutch. I attended some interviews, but the Dutch Language is always a barrier. Though there is a lockdown, I still gamble with my life to survive. I cannot stay indoors, as starvation is staring me in the face. Worse, I can quickly be evicted from my home if I don't work during lockdown.

As the saying goes, "after every storm, there is calm." Hope dwells in me that sooner or later coronavirus will be history. Everything has its season, and I firmly believe Allah will see the whole world through this period of despair. There is no antidote to this predicament, and no country has the means to secure a cure for this deadly disease. That means it is only Allah who can see us through this storm, and prayer is a weapon against the pandemic.”