Cape Town - Two years after the death of restaurant owner, Kimon “Kiki” Bisogno, who was killed during a shark attack in Plettenberg Bay, her vision to feed and create meaningful conversation with the homeless continues to thrive seven years on.
Her friend and co-founder of Obs Pasta Kitchen has kept the doors open.
Seven years ago, Kiki and Dani Saporetti began Obs Pasta Kitchen in Observatory with the vision of creating a space where the homeless did not feel hopeless and receive handouts but were fed “intellectually and emotionally” with good conversation and relationships.
This week, which celebrates the seventh year of its existence and the same month that Kiki died, Obs Pasta and its volunteers, the homeless, underprivileged, and Kiki's mother, Carminda Bisogno, lit candles and served cake and had balloons to signify that their vision continued and to celebrate her legacy.
Kiki, a humanitarian, ran a business called Ferdinando's Pizza in Observatory with her partner and husband Diego Milesi and the couple had a daughter together, now 4 years old.
On September 25, 2022, Kiki, who had been on family holiday with her husband and child in Plettenberg Bay, was attacked and killed by a shark while swimming.
Her death rocked the Observatory community, and many stopped by Ferdinando’s on Monday with flowers and messages of condolences for Bisogno’s family and friends.
Dani said the celebration this week was to honour the volunteers, the team who helped to keep their dream alive.
Every Wednesday between 4.30pm and 6pm, in Observatory, Obs Pasta Kitchen gives warm bowls of pasta to those in need.
“When she died it was so tragic and horrendous and at first I didn't want to go on with it. It was our thing, it's done. Then the day after her passing I said, there is no way this will stop. I asked myself how, and I dug very deep and I called on the team and hoped they would love the space and the project as much as we did,” she said.
“For the last two years, it has been incredible, I have spent the time empowering the team to lead and to be creative in their own ways.
“Kiki and I were always adamant isn’t our thing, but we were the driving force. We have volunteers, they come and go, it is hundred percent volunteer and donation based. The volunteers that I am celebrating have been with us since lockdown when I recruited a team to cook and do social distance.”
Dani explained that their vision would continue to be a space where food and good conversation meet.
“Just before Kiki passed away, I was adamant that we get back to the sit down meal at the church hall.
“We started cooking at Ferdinando’s in their upstairs kitchen and we would serve out the front and then the priest introduced us to the church hall and the resources have come to us because there is so much love and light in what we do, we never had to force anything, it has just grown.
“It is where we create a conversation, since the beginning we always wanted it to be more than a bowl of pasta, we wanted to create meaningful relationships.
“We have supported many of our guests through the next step of changing their lives.
“We currently have two guests who are at The Haven shelter in Paarl and are so happy and thriving and every week this is a reminder that the support is there.
“We are not a handout, it is really magic.”
Kiki’s mother, Carminda Bisogno who had also been part of the celebration and continues to volunteer and assist at the kitchen to keep her daughter’s memory and vision alive, said she had left an important message of giving hope to all.
“The last time I saw her was in the kitchen the Wednesday before her passing, so this week when we were there, I was a bit sad,” she said.
“I was so grateful that her legacy continues and that people have taken it forward and did not stop.
It is joyful to see that it continues.
“She always said, you may be homeless but you were not hopeless, she was always a visionary who tried to uplift people.