Cooking Together: Flavors that Unite
In our Cooking Together program, El Arca members learn cooking skills and share them with mothers and vulnerable populations in the southern region.
The Cooking Together program is one of the most beloved initiatives at El Arca Choluteca. It was born from the conviction that the kitchen is not just a space for preparing food, but a place for gathering, learning, and empowerment.
Our members with intellectual disabilities learn basic and advanced culinary techniques, from preparing tortilla dough to creating complete dishes. What is extraordinary is that, once trained, they themselves become teachers.
Training that transforms
The program extends beyond our walls: we train single mothers and vulnerable populations in southern Honduras in cooking workshops that enable entrepreneurship. Thus, cooking becomes a tool for economic independence.
Each Cooking Together session is a celebration. Participants put on their chef hats and aprons with pride, and the aroma of food prepared with love fills the entire workshop. In the end, everyone shares the table and the fruits of their labor.
A legacy of shared flavors
This program demonstrates that the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities are not only real but can transform entire communities. If you want to support or participate in Cooking Together, contact us.
Since its creation in 2015, Cooking Together has trained over 120 people, including El Arca members and external participants. Sessions take place twice a week in El Arca Choluteca's community kitchen, and each training cycle lasts approximately three months. Upon completion, participants receive a diploma certifying their new culinary skills.
"When I came to El Arca, I thought cooking was only for people who could read recipes. Here I learned that my hands know what my mind wants to do," says Jose Ramon Elvir, a community member for eight years. Jose Ramon now leads the team preparing baleadas and tamales sold at local fairs in Choluteca.
The Cooking Together menu reflects Honduras' rich culinary heritage. Participants learn to prepare traditional dishes such as conch soup, nacatamales, and torrejas, as well as recipes adapted for small businesses, like baked goods for sale in local markets. Each recipe is taught step by step, with visual instructions and individualized guidance.
Cooking Together aligns with one of L'Arche International's core pillars: valuing each person's gifts. Jean Vanier, L'Arche's founder, maintained that people with intellectual disabilities have a unique ability to build authentic relationships. In our kitchen, that truth becomes visible when a member with Down syndrome teaches a single mother to knead bread, and both discover they can learn from each other.
The program's results are measurable. Of the 45 single mothers trained between 2019 and 2025, eighteen have started small food businesses in Choluteca's neighborhoods of El Centro, La Bolsa, and San Antonio. Three of them, including dona Miriam Yamileth Andino, have formally registered their businesses with the municipality.
If you want to support Cooking Together, there are several ways: you can donate kitchen supplies like flour, oil, sugar, and spices; volunteer for Tuesday and Thursday sessions from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; or place an order for tamales, baleadas, and baked goods for events. Every lempira earned from food sales is reinvested directly into the program and the El Arca Choluteca community. Write to us at choluteca@elarcadehonduras.org or call (+504) 2782-5765.