Before The Archewell Foundation officially launched, Meghan and Harry gave us a taste of what we could expect from their charitable efforts and announced a partnership with World Central Kitchen in December.
Founded by Jose Andres, World Central Kitchen has distributed 50 million meals in 17 countries since it started in 2010. In 2018, Andrés was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
A statement released by the couple regarding the collaboration said;
“The health of our communities depends on our ability to connect to our shared humanity…When we think about Chef Andrés and his incredible team at World Central Kitchen, we’re reminded that even during a year of unimaginable hardship, there are so many amazing people willing — and working tirelessly — to support each other. World Central Kitchen inspires us through compassion in action.”
Compassion and action, two things we know Harry and Meghan always lead with.
The first of the four centres is being built on the Caribbean island of Dominica, which was hard hit by Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017. It’s slated to open in early 2021. The second will be set in Puerto Rico; the other two locations have not been announced.
The importance of this type of rapid response is currently being highlighted with the recent failings by regulators and officials in the US state of Texas. World Central kitchen has been on the ground supporting the relief efforts as the state grapples with freezing cold temperatures and a dead power grid.
Regarding The Sussexes involvement, Founder of World Central Kitchen Jose Andres sated;
“We are more energized than ever to continue this vital work…and we’re proud that it will be hand in hand with Archewell Foundation and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I have come to know both of them well, and believe that their values are directly aligned with what we stand for at World Central Kitchen.”
Structures built by World Central Kitchen through Archewell will be permanent, and built to act as quickly-activated service kitchens during emergencies like natural disasters. Afterwards, they will transition into community centres, schools and clinics.
The idea of making the structures permanent, and where communities can thrive is crucial. One of the biggest criticisms of aid work is that it makes people dependant and that it’s not sustainable long-term. The community hubs give the projects longevity and allow communities to thrive long-after. It’s not enough to just give money to charity, you must also give communities the foundations to build upon.
Harry and Meghan are proving once again that they will create projects that can stand strong for generations.