One of KASI’s primary goals is to promote integration of migrants into society, including through employment. For various reasons, access to decent work can be challenging and poses a significant barrier to integration for many people from migrant backgrounds in Ireland. For several years, KASI has operated different social enterprise activities which provide; opportunity to build practical employment skills and capabilities for migrants; a chance to earn a fair wage, and conditions for positive integration in the community. Below are some of the social enterprise activities carried out and plans for the future.
School Meals Project
In 2016, we piloted a School Meals Project in St. Oliver’s National School, in Ballycasheen, Killarney. The project provided healthy and affordable food for school pupils, cooked and prepared by mostly migrant kitchen staff, with most of the vegetables used sustainably grown and sourced from our own KASI Community Garden. Three years later, the project was extended to three more schools in Killarney – Gaelscoil Faithleann, The Mon Primary School and Holy Cross Mercy National School.
The social enterprise has enabled over 100 people to access decent work, as well as training and support towards future employment. The Social Enterprise Manager role and three kitchen staff roles were part-funded by the Deptartment of Community and Rural Development, under the Community Services Programme of POBAL. The rest of project staff were paid through income generated from the social enterprise.
The project has also created a space for informal interaction between migrant staff and volunteers, school staff, pupils and parents. In this way, integration is promoted and happens in an ‘organic’ manner. In April 2019, the project’s impact was recognised with a Gold Award at the 2019 Kerry Community Awards.
In a positive move forward, the Irish Government began the provision of hot meals for children in primary schools across Ireland in summer 2024. This brought a natural end to the School Meals Project, with a number of cooking staff moving to work within the new nationwide scheme.
KASI Charity Shop
Situated just below KASI offices in Killarney, the KASI Charity Shop promotes the circular economy by providing an affordable alternative to shopping new with clothes, books, handbags and shoes on offer. The shop has staff from Irish and migrant backgrounds, and also offers people experiencing poverty and hardship access to clothing. The shop is at 91 Beach Road, Killarney, and is open Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm. We also accept donations to the shop – please only donate clothes that are in excellent condition. Thank you.
Cafe Project
In the summer of 2021, Going Green Cafe and Refill Store opened it’s doors just across from KASI offices on Beech Road in Killarney. The cafe served as a welcoming, open meeting place for any and all people in Killarney. It promoted sustainability through it’s organic refill store – the first of its kind in Killarney – and through ethical ingredient-sourcing. Going Green also provided opportunities for people from migrant backgrounds to gain skills and training as baristas and in the service industry. The cafe fostered positive integration through the opportunity for interaction of new and local communities as a public facing hub for KASI’s community development work.
After over two years of successful operation, the decision was made to down-size the cafe project in late 2023, due to the risks posed by rising inflation and running costs. In summer 2024, KASI developed it’s mobile-cafe initiative to succeed Going Green. The Cultúr Cafe trailer (Irish for Culture Cafe) will be fully operational soon, carrying forward the ethos and approach of KASI’s cafe project.
