'Meals of thanks': Catering charity offers nutritious meals for pandemic frontliners

Record ID: 1560979

  • Title: 'Meals of thanks': Catering charity offers nutritious meals for pandemic frontliners
  • Date: 6th July 2020
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JULY 1, 2020) (REUTERS) CHEF AND FOUNDER OF 'WE ARE WITH YOU' CAMPAIGN, NAGWA FATHI, PACKAGING FOOD IN KITCHEN WITH VOLUNTEERS FATHI PUTTING RICE IN BOX ROWS OF MEAL BOXES WITH RICE AND CHICKEN / VOLUNTEERS PREPARING FOOD AND BOXES PAN FULL OF VEGETABLES WITH VOLUNTEERS IN BACKGROUND MEALS IN BOXES / VOLUNTEER PUTTING VEGETABLES IN BOXES VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS PUTTING VEGETABLES IN BOXES MEAL BOX SHOWING CHICKEN, RICE AND VEGETABLES TABLE LOADED WITH MEAL BOXES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHEF AND FOUNDER OF 'WE ARE WITH YOU' CAMPAIGN, NAGWA FATHI, SAYING: "I got this idea out of empathy for doctors, they are some of the most exhausted people at the moment. This is a way for us to support them. JOURNALIST ASKING: "What do you focus on (to provide in the meal)?" "I focus on proteins, vegetables, honey, and oranges, everything that has vitamins. That is because the meal offered is not just food, it is a meal of thanks and happiness. We are giving them something that tastes good and is different, and at the same time something that boosts their immune system. As you can see, there are vegetables, honey, and olive oil." HONEY POURED IN BLENDER VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS PREPARING MEALS VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER STIRRING BATTER CHEF CUTTING POTATOES FATHI TASTING FOOD SAYING (English): "PERFECT" VOLUNTEER PUTTING GREEN BEANS IN POT VOLUNTEERS COOKING CHICKEN ON GRILL VARIOUS OF TIMELAPSE OF FATHI COOKING WITH COLLEAGUES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NUTRITIONAL SPECIALIST AND VOLUNTEER, MAHMOUD YOUSEF, SAYING: "I have a lot of experience in nutrition. I decided to reach out to the campaign 'We are with you', saying that I can be responsible for the sanitization of the meals being prepared. We disinfect the vegetables, the raw materials, hands, knives, disinfect everything we use. Of course, we work for the quarantine hospitals, for doctors working in quarantine hospitals, who ask for very high disinfection levels." VOLUNTEER THROWING DISINFECTION TABLETS IN WATER VEGETABLES BEING THROWN INTO WATER VOLUNTEER RUBBING VEGETABLES IN WATER VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER MEASURING FOOD TEMPERATURE VOLUNTEER PUTTING VEGETABLES IN OVEN VOLUNTEER SETTING OVEN VOLUNTEER POURING OLIVE OIL ON VEGETABLES VOLUNTEER CLOSING OVEN DOOR VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER SPRAYING DISINFECTANT ON TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHEF AND FOUNDER OF 'WE ARE WITH YOU' CAMPAIGN, NAGWA FATHI, SAYING: "I really hope that the campaign reaches people. This is a call and plea to people, saying that just because things are opening up doesn't mean that coronavirus is over. Cases are increasing, and when things open up cases will increase even more. Hospitals are under a lot of pressure and doctors are exhausted. So please help them because we are in a crisis, and they will not be able to get out of it alone. We are all in one boat." VARIOUS OF MEALS BEING PACKAGED PACKAGED MEALS VOLUNTEERS PACKING MEALS VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS LOADING MEALS IN TRUCK
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2020 14:01
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Doctors Egypt Empathy Food delivery Kitchen Volunteers
  • Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
  • City: CAIRO, EGYPT
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001CLO9DG5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As hospitals in Cairo are overflowing and doctors struggle on the coronavirus frontline, one woman decided to start a catering campaign that cooks and delivers healthy meals to medical staff fighting the pandemic.
    An Egyptian chef and founder of the "We are with You" campaign, Nagwa Fathi, says that her initiative was born out of empathy for doctors.
    "They are some of the most exhausted people right now. This is a way for us to support them," said Fathi.
    Her campaign, which began in mid-February, is not simply about food delivery, says Fathi, but about boosting doctors' immunity by preparing healthy meals rich in nutrition.
    Most of the campaign's volunteers are chefs by profession, but others are also welcome to join the effort. A nutritional specialist and volunteer, Mahmoud Yousef, says that his role is centred around disinfecting everything from the raw materials being used to the cooking equipment.
    Yousef said these measures are essential as the meals are delivered to hospitals treating coronavirus patients under quarantine.
    Fathi's "meals of thanks and happiness" are being received with gratitude throughout a number of hospitals.
    Doctors and medical staff in Egypt have complained about the increased pressure and lack of resources at hospitals, as cases continue to rise by more than 1,000 new infections per day.
    Authorities are trying to alleviate these pressures, saying that the pandemic has so far been managed well.
    Egypt has reported 75,253 cases of coronavirus infections, including 3,343 deaths.
    Since mid-February, the 'We are with You' campaign delivered around 16,000 free meals to three hospitals treating patients ill with the coronavirus.
    They are currently managing to prepare between 350 and 500 meals per day.
    (Production: Sayed Sheasha, Nadeen Ebrahim)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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