Cooking Sewa through Food and Community Service

As part of Baba ji week at the Bhole Baba Ashram in Rieferath, Germany, SEWA volunteers came together to support the ashram through cooking sewa. The ashram welcomed German and European devotees and visitors for the celebrations, and the management invited the SEWA team to prepare Indian meals for the community. The Bhole Baba Ashram follows the practice of Karma Yoga, or selfless service, making food sewa a meaningful way for volunteers to contribute.

The SEWA cooking team was at the ashram from July 31 to August 2, with the food sewa taking place across the two weekends of August 1-2 and August 8-9. The team served approximately 100 to 150 people, preparing fresh vegetarian meals for devotees and visitors. The experience brought together volunteers from different backgrounds while creating an opportunity to connect with the local community through service.

Cooking with purpose

The days began early, with the morning Havan followed by Aarti. The volunteers then moved into the kitchen to begin preparations for breakfast and lunch. The first day’s breakfast included vegetable millets, lemon millets and oats with fruits, followed by a wholesome lunch of cabbage sabji, zucchini sabji, aloo sabji, papad, rice and halwa with raisins and nuts.

The following day, the team prepared masala chana and poha for breakfast. Lunch included aalo poori, zeera rice, dal tadka, curd rice, and zucchini halwa.

The kitchen became a space where volunteers could contribute their skills while learning from one another. From organizing ingredients to cooking in large quantities and coordinating meal service, every task played an important role in ensuring that visitors were served comfortably.

Building community through sewa

The experience also highlighted the importance of developing practical skills that can be useful during future emergencies and community needs. Large-scale cooking, teamwork, resource management, and serving people efficiently are valuable capabilities that can support communities during challenging situations, with children and teenagers also contributing and learning through hands-on participation. 

The impact of the cooking sewa went beyond providing meals. Visitors appreciated the food and the effort of the volunteers, with some expressing interest in joining SEWA and participating in similar activities in the future. This created a valuable connection between SEWA and the local German and European community.