Do you still remember how it felt when you first moved to a new city/ country? A great deal of excitement mixed with some anxiety? Well, starting a new life in a new place is not a piece of cake. Of course, it is all worth it in the end, but when you still haven’t found a decent flat to rent or when your new boss still doesn’t know your name after a few months, it is easy to get discouraged. These are some challenges all expats have to face when they move abroad. But, arriving in a country as a refugee is a completely different experience.
Integration is one of the most divisive topics nowadays: most foreign people struggle to find new purposes in a new environment. According to the statistics, it takes 10 yeras for a refugee to integrate into a new society: to learn the language, get a job and find a permanent place to live. Joining a new community, a group that has something in common can ease the pain and accelerate the integration process.
This is what The Do Good Company does: this startup brings foodies and refugees together. It is more than just an e-commerce platform where you can shop around for baklavas: it is a social enterprise with the aim of helping with the integration.
The Swedish company, funded by Nora Varga, helps refugee women by sharing their family recipes online. The idea is simple: the foreigners upload their family recipes to the webshop, and once the recipe is purchased, the company delivers all the ingredients to the customer’s doorstep. The profit goes to the recipe creators.
With the initiative, everyone wins: the customers skip the exhausting process of hunting for exotic ingredients, plus, they get to experience the taste of a new culture. The recipe creators – apart from earning some extra cash – can share their background stories in the blog and connect with the community.
Nora, founder of The Do Good Company explains how the idea came together.
“I have met so many women in Sweden with inspiring stories to share. Many of them fled the war with their children, leaving their husbands behind, and had to become the breadwinner of the family. They have learned the language, to drive a car and got a job! I believe that the stories of these people, who are trying to start a new life, are worth sharing.”
The Do Good Company has started its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter on 30th April. Their goal is to collect a capital of €10,000, with hopes of raising funds in order to cover the costs of inventory, shipping, and hiring.
If you have a sweet tooth and a thing for startups, this Kickstarter project is definitely something for you to follow. For more information, visit iwannadogood.com or keep up-to-date with their progress on their Facebook page.
