‘At A Rocha centres we don’t have a chapel, we have a table,’ wrote Leah Kostamo in Planted, her book telling the story of A Rocha Canada. She goes on, ‘The meal is a place of community, fellowship and invitation… the table is a safe place, a neutral ground for dialogue, knowing and communion.’
One of A Rocha’s five core commitments is community and there is no better place to form community than around a meal table. At Cruzinha, A Rocha Portugal’s centre, there is a new outside eating area with shade providing protection from the ever-increasing heat. This is where the team, interns, volunteers and visitors gather most lunch times, which in Portuguese style begin with soup and continue for two more courses!
At Krupárna, A Rocha Czech Republic’s centre, there are magical evenings around a blazing campfire with local sausages, stories and songs. The dining room at A Rocha Kenya’s centre, Mwamba, is usually buzzing with conversation as people share updates from the early morning bird ringing or snorkel survey; the latest on the ever-growing forest reserve, Dakatcha; or how a school’s environmental education programme is going. At the A Rocha Canada BC Centre, much of the delicious food on the table is grown on site! Mealtimes at Les Courmettes in France, Casa Adobe in Costa Rica and Kasserguppe in India are also significant and valued by permanent community members and guests alike.
