São Paulo – The Chega Junto project – a Brazilian Portuguese slang term for ‘come closer’ – sees refugee and immigrant cooks from the world over flock to city fairs in Rio de Janeiro. The next event will happen on Saturday (24) in south side neighborhood Botafogo. Folk dishes and recipes from countries such as Syria, Palestine, Nigeria, Congo, Venezuela and Colombia will be on offer.
The project came about in 2015, as refugee assistance organization Cáritas Brasileira and Junta Local – a network connecting food producers and consumers – joined forces to work on refugee inclusion. “The idea brought the organizations together. It’s an independent project for refugees who work or would like to work with the authentic, traditional cuisine from their home countries,” the project’s general coordinator Luciara Mota told ANBA.
From 2017 on, Chega Junto began to tout itself as a street fair of authentic food from all over the world. It also began embracing non-refugee migrants. “We try to have a horizontal management style where several people chime in. From the get-go, we’ve been careful to make them part of this organization. Chega Junto is a refugee/immigrant collective backed by volunteers and partner organizations,” Mota explained.
The project’s pillars are generating income and building connections. “The fair exists so that they may build these networks of association, to be invited to other projects and fairs, other jobs. And that’s exactly what happens. It’s been a successful project since 2015. We realized that it was very promising, because it catered to those two urgent needs,” the coordinator pondered.
In addition to supporting refugees, the project helps them learn the local language. “Even though they do take Brazilian Portuguese classes, the only way to really learn a language is by getting in touch with real people. The fair is also intended for them to speak, to engage in conversation, to meet people. Moreover, through food, they are showing where they come from. Sometimes they’ll reconnect with their own cultures through gastronomy,” said Mota, who sees a very sincere, real welcome from fairgoers. The role of food in rekindling the identities of refugees was even the subject of a research project at the University of São Paulo (USP), as reported by ANBA last October.
The collective works in tandem with other institutions to provide constant training. The project also endeavors to spark entrepreneurship in the refugees and immigrants. “Each kiosk is a space of business creation,” said Mota. And speaking of entrepreneurship, the fairs – which happen once a month – will go on a short hiatus as of December, while the collective works on a new program. They are developing an online sales platform for 2019. The delivery service will be worked on in full force after the November edition of the fair.
Quick fact
Chega Junto Fair
November 24
Christ Church Rio – Rua Real Grandeza, 99, 22281-033 Botafogo, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Free admission
Find out more from the Chega Junto Facebook page and the Junta Local website
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
