{"id":5830,"date":"2024-07-26T15:04:13","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T15:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/26\/with-a-big-heart-and-a-tiny-kitchen-meet-the-tiktok-star-cooking-and-delivering-meals-to-people-living-on-the-streets-of-paris\/"},"modified":"2024-07-26T15:04:13","modified_gmt":"2024-07-26T15:04:13","slug":"with-a-big-heart-and-a-tiny-kitchen-meet-the-tiktok-star-cooking-and-delivering-meals-to-people-living-on-the-streets-of-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/26\/with-a-big-heart-and-a-tiny-kitchen-meet-the-tiktok-star-cooking-and-delivering-meals-to-people-living-on-the-streets-of-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"With a big heart and a tiny kitchen, meet the TikTok star cooking and delivering meals to people living on the streets of Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manu Solidaire is quick to admit that he is not a real chef. Yet the cooking livestreams that he broadcasts from his tiny Paris apartment have attracted a huge audience on TikTok. They aren\u2019t watching to see complicated cooking techniques; it\u2019s his generosity that\u2019s on full display. <\/p>\n

The 33-year-old spends hours preparing dozens of meals before hopping on his bike and distributing the food to people living on the streets of Paris. Solidaire takes his online audience along every step of the way. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I wake up in the morning,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019m thinking about, \u2018What do I want to make today?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

From prep to packaging, Solidaire\u2019s cooking sessions last four to eight hours. His kitchen is only about 30 square feet, so there is little room for others to keep him company. Instead, he often has an audience of thousands interacting online in a party-like atmosphere. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe laugh, we dance, we move, we are like a family on the live session,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

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Manu Solidaire \u2014<\/div>\n

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When Solidaire first began delivering his meals in 2022, he said that he wore a GoPro camera on his bike helmet for his own security. After a few months, he started asking people if they would mind being in his videos. He says he uses these videos to change perceptions around homelessness. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s to show to the world some homeless people \u2026 they work all their lives and right now they have some problems,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd maybe you can understand their situation.\u201d <\/p>\n

Solidaire\u2019s TikTok account has 352,400 followers and 5.6 million likes. His social media audience helps fund his efforts through links on the account and by donating during his livestreams. Last year, Solidaire won TikTok\u2019s L\u2019award d\u2019honneur for his work. <\/p>\n

Solidaire first got to know people experiencing homelessness when he was running a pair of e-cigarette businesses. He would allow people in need to charge their phones in his store and would offer free coffee. Then, during the pandemic, he says \u201cthe business decreased, and the happiness decreased, too.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI was thinking, \u2018I have to find a new way to be happy,\u2019\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

One day, he made pasta for his family and had three portions leftover. He spent 20 minutes walking the streets and found three people who would not have eaten had he not offered the meals. <\/p>\n

\u201cI come back home with a really huge smile,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s good for me and good for them.\u201d <\/p>\n