Giza Volunteers Cook, Deliver Meals to COVID-19 Patients in Home Isolation

Gehan Aboella

When it comes to crises, some people prove the real meaning of humanity and maintain their capacity for hope through providing help to those in need without waiting for reward.

The whole world is now facing coronavirus pandemic, which infected millions of people and caused the death of some of them. One such group of some young men in Giza launched an Initiative for cooking and delivering healthy meals for COVID-19 patients in home isolation.

The group was founded by Ahmed Al-Bardisy, an Egyptian young man who has obliged to close his restaurant due to the curfew measures over the deadly virus, but decided to help residents of his district.

In exclusive statements to SEE, the 28-year-old young man said that he had graduated from tourism and hotels institute and started his career by hiring a restaurant in downtown Cairo, but the number of diners at the restaurant had dramatically dropped due to the curfew measures over coronavirus and he decided to close his restaurant.

Ahmed explained that he was inspired to launch the initiative during the holy fasting month of Ramadan though providing well-prepared and healthy meals to the poor families and those who are isolated at their homes.

The story of Chef Ahmed

Bardisy published his initiative on his Facebook page and it soon got massive positive responses with many people offering donations and help.

"I started the kitchen with 30 meals and I had only one assistant and two delivery men. The next day I had at least five assistants and five delivery men, all are volunteers," said the volunteer chef, adding excitedly "now we distribute about 120 meals daily."

14 day meals

Bardisy has even started to establish the kitchen for one week in each province in rotation to support the home-confined COVID-19 patients there. He is currently in the northern coastal province of Alexandria where he has cooked and delivered at least 100 meals so far.

"We even write an encouraging phrase and attach it with each meal box, such as 'We love you!' 'Get well soon!' and 'You are stronger than coronavirus!'" Bardisy told SEE

The kitchen staff sticks to hygiene and precautionary measures such as wearing face masks and gloves and sterilizing their utensils and tools before and after cooking.

Mohamed Ahmed is one of the volunteer delivery men in Giza. Wearing a face masks and a pair of gloves, he sprays his bike with alcoholic disinfectant before he drives to a patient's home.

"As for how I deliver the meals, either the patient lowers his food basket from his balcony and I put the meal inside, or I leave the meal at the patient's door," Mohamed said.

Mohamed cares so much about not making the home-isolated patients feel offended or embarrassed. Even when he wants to spray his hands with disinfectant after delivery, he does it after he leaves the patient's place.

"I feel very happy when I see happiness on the patient's faces and make them feel they are not alone," the volunteer young man concluded."