“Safe Dishes” Launches in Nairobi!

Safe Spaces Nairobi has captured the magic of their Setswana sisters and brought a new restaurant and catering initiative to their community of Kariobangi South. After an exchange in November 2009 with Safe Spaces program in Ramotswa, Botswana, where their primary activity is catering for community festivals, events and government gatherings, the girls from Nairobi decided to bring it on home.

The Nairobi girls had been frequenting a local spot named Maria’s Café when it dawned on them that the café could actually be managed by Safe Spaces – and moreover that some of the girls’ mothers would do an excellent job running the place and secure employment through the initiative. After some negotiations with Maria and the landlord, the resaurant was passed on and “Safe Dishes” was born.

Located in the middle of an industrial strip of road in the community, Safe Dishes caters to a large population of mechanics who work in the area (some of these same mechanics have employed the girls through our mechanics program). Throughout the day the restaurant gets its fair share of business due to the tasty dishes and reasonable prices. When I asked “Niaje nyinyi, munapenda chakula?” (Hey guys, you like the food here?) I was met with resounding appreciation of the dishes coming out of the kitchen.

Coca-cola offered to paint the restaurant, if they could put their logo on it and offer soft drinks at cheaper prices. The girls agreed, though we are in the process of trying to leverage more support from Coca-cola if they wish to continue working with us.

Safe Dishes is a perfect example of what the young leaders of Safe Spaces are capable of producing, managing and building. Professional development, building local economy and creating more opportunities for the girls and their families is at the core of all of this work. We are proud to dine in our own café and cycle money back through our community.