Father Hani Tawk and his wife Dounia, founders of Mariam's Kitchen, in their food-truck, in full preparation. (Credit: Renee Davis)
Dekwaneh, Friday, Dec. 13. Once the Cuisine de Mariam food truck arrived, applause broke down the silence. “Today is a dream come true,” said Father Hani Tawk, founder of Cuisine de Mariam. This mobile kitchen truck is the first of its kind in Lebanon. It’s much more than just a vehicle: It is a promise of hope for thousands of families.
Father Tawk and his wife, Dounia, founded the kitchen in August 2020 in the wake of the double explosions at the Beirut port. Cuisine de Marian kicked off “with a simple cooking pot.”
“It all started in our house, with this little pot,” he said, pointing to an old pot still sitting in the kitchen.
“We started with 250 meals a day, then 600 in 2021, 800 in 2022 and 1,000 in 2023. After the escalation of the war in September, requests skyrocketed overnight: We prepared 4,000 to 5,000 meals each day for 60 days. It was intense, but we did it with so much love,” he added.
Emergency in the face of precariousness
Lebanon, already struggling with serious economic and social crises since 2019, is also suffering the aftermath of the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel. More than 1.2 million Lebanese people have been displaced and forced to leave their homes in search of safety. In this context, initiatives like Cuisine de Mariam have never been more essential.
As temperatures drop and winter sets in, many families find themselves without sufficient food resources.
When the kitchen truck was unveiled last Friday, emotions filled the air. “It’s much more than a free meal, it's an early Christmas present,” said one woman in the crowd.
“It's a turning point for Cuisine de Mariam. Today we're inaugurating this food truck. It’s our greatest achievement,” said Father Tawk. “The idea is to move around and go to people's homes rather than just invite them to meet us.
The truck can prepare up to 1,000 meals on-site, anywhere, anytime. Today it's starting in Dekwaneh, then it'll be on to “Ras Beirut, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Jounieh, Jbeil, Tripoli — we'll go wherever we need to in Lebanon.”
CMA CGM Foundation chairman Tanya Saadeh expressed her commitment to this cause: “Since 2020, we have distributed four million meals in collaboration with our NGO partners, including Cuisine de Mariam.”
“This truck is an innovative response to food insecurity. It symbolizes our determination to support vulnerable communities and nurture them with hope, one meal at a time.”
The truck is built from a converted and adapted container. It is fully equipped to cook traditional Lebanese dishes, with three large burners, a grill, refrigerators and space to store ingredients. Its generator gives it complete energy autonomy, enabling it to operate even in the most isolated locations.
Cuisine de Mariam relies on the engagement of many volunteers and employees. “We have 15 employees here, as well as volunteers of all backgrounds. Thirty-five schools send their students to help us prepare and distribute meals. They spend a day with us and learn the importance of solidarity within the community,” explained Father Tawk.
Hala Zaitar, a 39-year-old woman, is one of the many beneficiaries. With her two-year-old child in her arms, she confided: “I've been coming regularly for two years now. The meals are delicious and my child loves them. This project will change our lives, especially for mothers like me who don't always have the time or means to move around.”
As this mobile kitchen prepares to roam Lebanon, its aim is clear: To fight food insecurity and put a smile back on the faces of those who need it most. “This Christmas, we want to bring more than just a hot meal. We want to share love, solidarity and hope,” said Father Tawk.
