Tabkha Live promotes healthier diets and eating habits by encouraging and enabling more people to cook at home. Home cooking is well researched as being more balanced and nutritious. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that home cooked meals had higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and fiber than restaurant meals. (“Home-Cooked Meals: A Healthier Option Than Fast Food”, 2012), and a study by the USDA found that home cooked meals had lower levels of sodium, saturated fat, and total fat than restaurant meals (“Home-Prepared Meals: Better for You Than Restaurant Meals”, 2011).

In addition to physical health, Tabkha Live supports mental and emotional well-being by connecting people for social cooking experiences. Isolation and loneliness have become a global epidemic: The World Health Organization estimates that one in four people worldwide experience loneliness, and that social isolation is a risk factor for premature death (2017). A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that people who were socially isolated were more likely to develop depression than those who were not socially isolated (“Social Isolation and the Risk of Major Depressive Disorder: A Meta-Analysis, 2007).

Tabkha Live offers a supportive learning environment for all skill levels, ensuring inclusive and equitable education. The platform welcomes and supports people with disabilities, as well as all races, ethnicities, and genders. Home cooks and users will be able to choose how they identify, and the platform will include accessibility features such as built-in speech-to-text and text-to-speech options.

Tabkha Live helps illuminate the value of women’s unpaid labor in the kitchen, supporting their economic empowerment and promoting greater gender equality. Many women cooking for their families at home will earn and income and economic opportunity for the very first time in their lives. At Tabkha Live, women are the leaders, disrupting the often rigid power dynamic between men and women in the home, and fostering gender parity in decision-making.

SDG target 8.5 aims, “By 2030, [to] achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.” Our platform allows home cooks (traditionally women in many cultures) the chance to monetize their skills, contributing to inclusive economic growth.

Tabkha Live addresses social and economic disparities by providing equal opportunity for women to showcase their culinary talents. The platform celebrates culinary diversity and supports the exchange of unique food traditions, helping reduce cultural inequalities. The World Bank’s 2021 Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report found that 700 million women live in extreme poverty, compared to 600 million men. The report also found that women are more likely to be unemployed, earn less money, and have less access to education and healthcare than men.

Tabkha Live helps to preserve culture and heritage as home cooks share recipes that have been passed down through countless generations.

Both the home cooks leading the sessions and the users following along are encouraged to maximize usage of the foods they have available locally and at home. Access to a multitude of recipes allows for flexibility and efficiency. Unused proteins, fruits, vegetables, and grains become ingredients for meals instead of being thrown in the trash.

Tabkha Live plans to partner with local grocery stores and community-based organizations. These partnerships will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and resources, amplifying the efforts and impact of all stakeholders. Together, we can make more progress towards the achievements of the sustainable development goals.