Cooking for pregnant friends in the hospital kitchen

April 14th, 2009

Every woman staying at the ‘welcome village’ for pregnant women at Masisi Hospital, which is supported by MSF, may be accompanied by another woman if they wish, whether it be a member of their family, a neighbour or a friend. Among other things, the pregnant women’s companions help with the preparation of meals; as a result, the welcome village kitchen is a hive of activity where laughter and conversations never seem to end.

“I prepare two meals a day”, says one companion. “One at 10am and the other at 5pm. My first task is to prepare three stones to encircle the fire and to position the pans. I came to Masisi with beans that I’d cultivated in the fields. They’re dried and it takes two hours to cook them. I constantly have to keep watch of the fire and my pans. For supper I also grill peanuts and manioc leaves”.

Nearby, another companion is busy preparing fufu, a ball of dough prepared from boiled manioc flour. Another woman is busy preparing small fish to cook. At every turn the aromas of cooking mingle with the scent of the flames. The kitchen area is a flurry of quick and precise movements.

Women with round and flat bellies alike joke, giggle and chat with each other as they wait for the food to be prepared. The difference between the atmosphere in the welcome village to that outside of the hospital grounds is striking; this area is a veritable haven of peace.

“Some of the pregnant women here are always hungry!!” says one women with a smile, as the others explode with laughter around her…