Little Food Cabinet Movement: Creating Resilient Micro-communities during the Economic Crisis in Sri Lanka

Novil Wijesekara https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0391-6220, KALC Kodituwakku

https://doi.org/10.51595/1111168

Abstract:

The current economic crisis in Sri Lanka has threatened the food security of communities, resulting in the need for different initiatives to help them cope. Little Food Cabinet Movement is a grassroots-level and crowdsourced solution to address food insecurity. A micro-community helps each other by sharing food through a Little Food Cabinet open 24/7 for members to benefit unconditionally. Even in difficult financial times, different community members are affected differently. Further, the communities have an urge and capacity to help each other for survival. The Little Free Pantry Movement in the USA inspired the Little Food Cabinet Movement in Sri Lanka. Many assumptions in the community need to be addressed before, during, and after establishing Little Food Cabinets. We recommend 100% compassion, 100% trust, and 100% hope to be applied to the space of the Little Food Cabinet as unconditional emotional dimensions to address such assumptions. Little Food Cabinet Movement could be a practical and sustainable intervention to address the food security of communities at the micro-level. 

Keywords: Little Food Cabinet, Little Free Pantry, Economic Crisis, Sri Lanka, Food Security, Community Resilience