Five German tech entrepreneurs have created an app that will connect Berlin locals with refugees to share a meal. The app, which links people based on shared languages and food preferences, aims to use meals as a way to foster connections within the community. Members of Berlin-based startup Memorado created the app, called “Refoodgee“, during the hackathon #HackWeek15 which was dedicated to the refugee topic.
Using the app requires both parties (refugees and locals) to sign up for a free account and specify whether they are going to be the dinner host or guest. Afterwards they provide information on their country of origin, languages they speak, and their preferred cuisine. The local dinner host has the option to invite refugees to a meal in their home and the refugees can either accept or decline the invitation. If both parties match, they will receive contact details and can coordinate a time and place for the meal. How the host and the guest divide the cost of the meal is up to both parties. The ultimate goal of the app is to help refugees with food and a way to make local friends.
Memorado’s Felicia Hommel says: “The first contact you build up as a refugee is very important and helpful, so we wanted to give both parties the chance to connect over something social, [such] as a meal. The meeting is not about the food so much, but about getting to know each other, good conversations, etc.”.
So far over 100 locals in Berlin have downloaded the app, which is currently compatible with Android devices in Berlin only. If the app does well, the team has plans to launch an iOS version and to expand throughout Europe.