'Doing God's work': Local man prepares and serves traditional Haitian meals to migrants
BROCKTON - Thousands of Haitian migrants have flooded Massachusetts to escape political unrest and turmoil in their country, and one local man is trying to make life easier for them by delivering homecooked meals that remind them of the food from the motherland.
Kervin Edouard, the owner of Swerv Catering, is doing what many have called "God's work" because his team is able to make and deliver hundreds of meals to Haitian migrants at Boston Logan Airport and many hotels in the area.
The young entrepreneur "decided to put himself out there," which caused a chain reaction. Many locals are donating and helping Edouard's cause to feed more local migrants.
One of Edouard's Instagram posts went viral of him delivering food, reaching over 219,000 views, dozens of comments, and hundreds of dollars in donations.
So far, he's raised over $3,000 and counting, but plans to raise more.
The menu changes weekly, but the meals consist of legume, a traditional Haitian stew with vegetables and meat, rice and beans with chicken, spaghetti, fried pork, baked mac and cheese, and salad. Edouard cooks all the popular dishes in Haitian culture.
"I honestly feel great about giving back to my community. I was originally born in Florida until I moved here. Still, both of my parents were born in Haiti, and I grew up spending the summers there, so it means the world to me to help the people starting a new journey in the United States," Edouard said.
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How his journey started
As a kid, Edouard spent a lot of time in the kitchen with his mother. In a Haitian household, families don't directly teach you how to cook; you "learn by observing."
"When I was in the kitchen with my mom, she would tell me to pass her this and that, and my knowledge of cooking grew," Edouard said.
Edouard went to culinary school and expanded his cooking skills, launching his Haitian catering business almost a decade ago.
The journey of feeding migrants has caused Edouard to think deeply about his life and everything the migrants went through to reach Massachusetts.
He remembers, as a distant memory, what Haiti felt like, from the beautiful flowers growing up every wall to the smooth rivers flowing downstream and the smell of his mother's cooking as he walked home.
It weighs heavy on his heart to hear the stories of how bad Haiti has gotten and the trek many have taken, from crossing the borders of Chile and Guatemala to Mexico and having to figure it out with barely any money or resources.
And, Edouard said, the worst part about this is hearing how many will take advantage of migrants eager to start a new life by charging them for each route and adding additional fees to show how to get over the border.
Although hearing the heart-wrenching stories saddens Edouard, he is happy to be able to provide a slight sense of home through food and culture.
"Seeing the happiness food brings people makes everything worth it," Edouard said.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Kervin Edouard of Mango Man Swerv provides meals to Haitian migrants
