Azerbaijan
participants
The primary goal of our initiative is to promote the consumption of locally sourced plant-based dietary consumption products which has several benefits to the community including, supporting local farmers, reducing meat consumption which contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions and water usage, contribution to the local economy, raising awareness on reducing food insecurity, and improving the health of the residents. Another very important goal of the activity covers engaging international and local students, since international students studying in Azerbaijan have a very limited set of opportunities to really integrate into the community, build lasting relations and friendships with the local and other international students. Moreover, some other goals of the activity certainly are to promote home-cooked meals among the youth, influence them on becoming more creative and open-minded when trying vegan food, and veganize their favorite dishes from their cuisine using local ingredients.
A cooking event was hosted at a culinary/ bakery school (Cake School by Emilia Ismayilova) in Baku which was attended by seven local and seven international students who worked in groups to cook some local dishes that belong to Azerbaijani cuisine and to the cuisines of their countries of origin. All the ingredients used were seasonal, fresh, and locally sourced and did not contain any meat or dairy products. For sustainability and environmental purposes, the promotion of the event was designed to be online only and distributed via online channels, mainly through social media accounts of ESN Azerbaijan. We partnered with one local environmental association - Nature Friends Azerbaijan for this event who provided aid for the promotion of the event on their social media platforms. Also 2 out of 7 local students participating were the volunteers of Nature Friends Azerbaijan. Finally, the event made an explicit connection and engagement between local and international students by providing them with a great chance to come together for a good cause, collaborate, engage in fun and network-building activities, and engage the internationals to our local communities.
This activity is part of the project:
Green Erasmus