Bistro Štrecha, a vegan restaurant changing lives
Nearly six hundred years ago, the famous Czech Military commander Jan Žižka and his army were surrounded at Kutná Hora by the Roman Empire. With determination, guile and some fearsome farm wagons, they managed to punch their way out of encircling forces and went on to win a famous victory. Now, in tribute to this and numerous other military victories, a huge statue of Jan Žižka sits proudly on Vitkov hill casting his one good eye out over Prague. We’re talking of course about Žižkov and this bustling little area, which is home to nearly sixty thousand people, contains countless bars and restaurants, shops and charming little bistros. If you happen to find yourself in Žižkov it is worth visiting a rather unique little Bistro located in Milíčova, here you can while away the time, eating their terrifically good value lunch offerings. This in itself is not that unusual, the set-up however is: The Bistro Štrecha is a cooperative vegan restaurant. The Bistro was founded by people who have had direct experience with homelessness or whose lives have been adversely affected by their social backgrounds, and their employees are homeless individuals and ex-prisoners.
Anyone who has had experience of either of the two predicaments will be only too aware of the vicious circle of homelessness or the stigma of having spent time in prison and how they can prevent an individual from moving on with theirv life. Here, while not a solution to the problem, it is at least a leg-up for those in most need of it. If they manage to work at Bistro Štrecha for six months they are entitled to become part of the cooperative, however this can also cause problems, those who are indebted to the bank can find their part in the cooperative removed and taken over by the bank in question, a heartless and cruel thing to do, these individuals struggle with earning a low wage and they are expected to pay off debts to the bank before they eat. Working in a vegan establishment also means that the employees as well as the patrons are playing their part in the painfully slow movement over to sustainable and greener eating options, the benefits are therefore environmentally sound, as well as material. 46
