Our Table was founded by activist Ellie Kisyombe and Michelle Darmody, who met through a shared belief that a conversation needed to be started about Direct Provision, and the idea that food was a good way to get conversation started. Ellie has been a vocal campaigner to end Direct Provision in Ireland as a volunteer with the Irish Refugee Council and spent five years living in Direct Provision. Michelle, who has a background in food and cooking, met Ellie after contacting the Irish Refugee Council to explore ways to use food to draw attention to the reality of Direct Provision. Our Table aims to create nurturing and empathic spaces where people can gain skills, are paid a wage and can gain knowledge of the Irish food industry. It is a non-profit, non-demoninational organisation that aims to build an awareness of food in multicultural Ireland and to highlight that the current system of Direct Provision is deeply flawed
