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Category: FeedThePlanet – Blog
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Moscow, Russia· 20 October 2019 · Like a chef: “Cooking makes me feel good”
Meet Vanja, who grew up in an orphanage in Russia. He found his calling during our culinary training program in Moscow and is ready to pursue a career as a professional chef.
The original link can be found below.
Vanja is one of 6,000 Russian teenagers that leave their orphanages every year and can struggle to transition to independent living, with only 10% able to provide for themselves or find a job.
He is also one of the first graduates of our global culinary training program Like a Chef that in Moscow is targeted towards young orphans.
The initiative builds on the program that started in Brazil in 2017 and is a collaboration between the Electrolux Food Foundation, Worldchefs and the local ‘Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ organization.
The eight-week course provides culinary training on sustainable cooking and valuable life skills, such as learning how to work in a team, start a business or pursue an education at a culinary college.
The second wave of graduates this year have been given the opportunity to become gastronomic stars of the future after being offered internships at restaurants owned by acclaimed Russian chef Vladimir Mukhin.
In 2019, the Electrolux Food Foundation is expanding the Like a Chef program with launches in Sweden, Poland, Egypt and Ukraine.
Images
The original article can be found on the Electrolux page.
Click here to find out more about ‘Like a Chef’.
ABOUT WORLDCHEFS
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, is a dynamic global network of 110 chef associations worldwide. A leading voice in the hospitality industry, Worldchefs carries 91 years of history since its founding at the Sorbonne by the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a mobilized international membership of culinary professionals, Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large.
Worldchefs is dedicated to raising culinary standards and social awareness through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe.
For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
Paris, France · 17 October 2019 · Worldchefs and Feed the Planet partners extend Like a Chef culinary training to four more countries
Worldchefs, along with partners Electrolux Food Foundation and AIESEC, are gearing up to extend the ‘Like a Chef’ culinary training to four more countries. This program focuses on sustainable cooking and will equip unemployed people, such as orphans and women, with necessary culinary workplace skills. The trainings are expected to launch in Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, and Egypt in this coming October. To find out more about the ‘Like a Chef’ culinary training, please read Electrolux’s news article.
The original link can be found below.
On World Food Day, Electrolux is proud to announce that ‘Like a Chef’ – the program to equip unemployed people with culinary workplace skills with a focus on sustainable cooking – is launching in Sweden, Poland, Ukraine and Egypt in October, building on the success of the Electrolux Food Foundation initiative in Brazil and Russia.
The news follows the August announcement to annually fund the Electrolux Food Foundation until 2030 with an expected total of SEK 100 million to help grow their work. Electrolux aims to make sustainable eating the preferred choice by 2030 and the Electrolux Food Foundation works with partners and employee engagement to inspire and educate on sustainable eating and cooking, and to help people in need.
The Like a Chef culinary training program began in 2017 and has so far educated over 150 people in Curitiba, São Carlos and Moscow.
“We have seen from experience that this program can truly make a difference to those who are out of work – from orphaned teenagers to single mothers – giving them both confidence and skills to gain employment,” says Ingrid Yllmark, Head of the Electrolux Food Foundation.
“We plan for this program to grow globally,” adds Malin Ekefalk, Director Social Responsibility & Community Investment, Electrolux. “We are looking for additional Electrolux locations, where we can set up the program together with our partners Worldchefs and AIESEC.”
The eight-week course developed by Worldchefs is taught by volunteer professional chefs and incorporates a zero-waste approach to promote sustainable cooking and eating.
Like a Chef will roll out in:
Sweden – Ten women are taking part in the program at Yalla Rinkeby, a worker-owned social enterprise to help immigrant women in Stockholm. The training kitchen has been equipped with a donation of Electrolux Professional appliances and courses will run four times per year.
Ukraine – Fifteen young people living in orphanages in Kiev are participating in the first wave of the program, taking in place in a local culinary school, with the aim of assisting their transition to independent living and gaining workplace skills.
Poland – In collaboration with the country’s National Federation of Food Banks, the program takes place in the city of Olzstyn where the Food Bank HQ is located. Courses will be held in a newly inaugurated community center and around 50 unemployed people will be trained annually.
Egypt – Twenty unemployed women from Cairo will be trained in the first wave in a kitchen specially built in the Electrolux cooker factory, close to the Egyptian capital. Several local partnerships are also involved and the first group of students will graduate by the end of the year.
Images
Electrolux extends Like a Chef culinary training to four more countries
The original article can be found on the Electrolux news page.
Click here to find out more about ‘Like a Chef’.
ABOUT WORLDCHEFS
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, is a dynamic global network of 110 chef associations worldwide. A leading voice in the hospitality industry, Worldchefs carries 91 years of history since its founding at the Sorbonne by the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a mobilized international membership of culinary professionals, Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large.
Worldchefs is dedicated to raising culinary standards and social awareness through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe.
For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
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Paris, France · 27 September 2019 · Education for Employment with White Rabbit Family and Chef Vladimir Mukhin
The below article has been translated from Russian. Original links can be found below.
“I’m a Chef” is a charity project by Electrolux Russia, helping to provide professional development to youth leaving orphanages and teenagers living in foster homes or in heavy life circumstances. The program was developed under the guidance of Electrolux Food Foundation and Worldchefs, part of the Feed the Planet initiative Education for Employment.
On 27 August, the final event of the 2019 “I’m a Chef” project was held. This year was supported by the renowned and the best restaurant chain in Russia, White Rabbit Family (WRF), and by Vladimir Mukhin – #10 Best Chefs Award in 2018. He is also the brand chef of White Rabbit Restaurant, which is #13 in World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Over the course of 2 months, 15 teenagers were trained in basic cooking skills under the guidance of professional chefs in the Worldchefs community. The programme took place at the base of 1st Moscow Educational complex restaurant business faculty, fully equipped by Electrolux Professional and Electrolux household appliances.
Within the framework of the program, the students also had the unique chance to visit WRF restaurants to see the work of real kitchens and to meet the brand chefs, gaining a deeper understanding of the profession. The students met with Vladimir Mukhin (Chef’s Table), Anatoly Kazakov (Selfie, 65th in the World’s 50 Best), Olga Suzdalkina (Chicha), Vitaly Istomin and Alexey Kogay (Sakhalin) and Andrey Koshkodan (Luciano), who is also a former orphanage graduate.
On 26 August the students were tested by Vladimir Mukhin in the training kitchen.
On 27 of August the final event took place, where the students demonstrated the skills gained during their 8 weeks of study. They were divided into 4 teams. Every team cooked its own dish: starter, soup, main dish or dessert. The jury consisted of media representatives and WRF chefs. They were judging the People’s Choice competition. The jury was presented by: Vladimir Mukhin, Alexey Kogay, Anatoly Kazakov, Irina Zarkova and mass media representatives.
The participants were further awarded by Electrolux and the White Rabbit Family.
The main prize for the winners was the opportunity to hone their skills in WRF restaurants. At the end of the final, Vladimir Mukhin announced that he would in fact take all the students to practice in the restaurants after a personal talk with each participant to define the individual details, helping to choose the right place for everyone.
Vladimir Mukhin shared, “There was a rule in the project, that I have to choose the best students for practicing, but I got used to breaking rules, so I decided to invite all the students. We will meet with everyone and decide individually, which restaurant will suit best in every case. Remember, being a chef is a very hard daily work. Every chef passes through the fall downs and the periods of bad luck, which at the end make us stronger.”
The names of the finalists:
- Azarov Alexander (18 years) A student of culinary college. Orpahage ЦССВ No1, also was living in the foster family. Will practice at Chefs Table WRF restaurant.
- Afanasyev Maxim (17 years) Last year at school and going to enter cooking college, now in a foster family. Will practice at Gorynych WRF restaurant.
- Borisov Dmitry (19 years) Studies at the construction faculty.
- Vlasov Valery (20 years) Has entered the culinary college. Graduated from the orphanage ЦССВ «Sputnik».
- Dudnik Nikita (15 years) Studies at school. From the orphanage ЦССВ «Nash Dom», now in the foster family.
- Zamolodchkov Daniil, (16 years) Going to enter culinary college. Now in the foster family. Will practice at White Rabbit WRF restaurant.
- Iegovina Elizabetta (16 years) Has entered culinary college. From the orphanage ЦССВ №1, from the foster family. Will practice at Gorynych WRF restaurant.
- Kotova Polina (21 years) Graduated from the orphanage ЦССВ «Sinyaya Ptitsa».
- Kupriyanova Elena (19 years) Graduated from culinary college. Graduated from the ЦССВ «Polyarnaya Zvezda. Lives in the adaptation center, Degunino. Will practice at Vokrug Sveta WRF restaurant.
- Lelyavskaya Elizaveta (19 years) Lives in a family with heavy life circumstances.
- Prohorova Julia (19 years) Studies in culinary college. From the orphanage, also lived with a foster family. Will practice at Selfie WRF restaurant.
- Sidirova Maria (16 years) During the project entered culinary college. From the family with heavy life circumstaces. Will practice with the pastry chef in the WRF confectionary kitchen.
- Romanov Ruslan (17 years) Interested in more training in the culinary profession. From the orphanage ЦССВ «Kakhovskiye Romashki, lives in the foster family.
- Chervinov Maxim (19 years) Interested in more training in the culinary profession. Graduated from the orphanage.
Winners аre:
- 1st placeо: Azarov Alexander and Sidorova Mariya
- 2nd Place: Iegovina Elizabetta and Isaev Rustaev Ivan
- 3rd place: Vlasov Valery and Lelyavskaya Elizaveta*
- Special Prize: Dudnik Nikita*, Zamolodchikov Daniil*, Sidirova Mariya
- *has won the additional education: basic pastry course in best Moscow studio
Mukhin continued, “It is not a secret that my work is a dream job. My work is my main living place, but as a change, every day I get satisfaction from the creative process: from people I work with, from the traveling and getting new knowledge. What is more, this profession is well paid. Long ago I realized that sharing the skills and knowledge is a vitally important habit. It provides a circulation of energy and makes you happy. I will feel happy if we manage to motivate the guys and someone will have a wish to become one of us. We can not help all, but if we help at least one of the guys, it means that we managed to do a great job.”
In Russia, approximately 6000 teenagers graduate from orphanages each year. They find themselves going into adulthood with very little life experience, as they are generally not taught independence while in orphanages. Most of them find it difficult to perform even basic tasks like using public transport, buying groceries or cooking. They also often struggle with a choice of profession.
In order to help such teenagers, Electrolux in Russia launched “I’m a Chef” – a charitable culinary education project. The program gives children the opportunity to master the profession of a chef. They also learn how to work in teams and start to understand the requirements for building a career in hospitality.
The program was launched last year and the results of the first wave were also impressive. In April 2019, Oleg Laptev and Angelina Oparina – two finalists from 2018 – took part in the national professional competition “Chef a la Russe”, where they came in at a 4th place in the “Juniors” nomination. This year, Oleg Laptev is assisting a chef in second wave of the “I’m a Chef” project. During the project, Oleg got an offer to practice his skills in one of WRF restaurants, Luciano, under the guidance of Luciano brand chef Andrey Koshkodan, who is also a former orphanage graduate.
“It is important for us to convey to these kids that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can change both their present and future,” says Pavel Potapov, General Director of Electrolux in Russia.
Project pages (in Russian): Voknakte and Electrolux Russia
ABOUT WORLDCHEFS
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, is a dynamic global network of 110 chef associations worldwide. A leading voice in the hospitality industry, Worldchefs carries 91 years of history since its founding at the Sorbonne by the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a mobilized international membership of culinary professionals, Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large.
Worldchefs is dedicated to raising culinary standards and social awareness through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe.
For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
Paris, France · 13 December 2019 · Silver Spoon Hospitality Academy hosts Graduation for Sustainability Course
On August 5-13 the Silver Spoon Hospitality Academy in Namibia hosted it’s 2nd wave of graduation for over 20 students of Worldchefs’ sustainability course.
In regards to the course, instructor Terry Jenkinson, said:
“The sustainability course has proven to be very informative, especially as we here at Silver Spoon Hospitality Academy in Namibia, have been active in creating an awareness of the importance of Biodiversity, conserving natural resources and making the most of products indigenous to our country.
The students who participated in the curriculum have a better understanding of what we have been teaching as well as anew found respect for ensuring long term sustainability of our natural resources. The Students have implemented a strict recycling and separation of waste program at the Academy, they are also working towards the development of a vertical indoor garden. We were fortunate to have a handful of students in this intake that are active in sustainable projects in the home environment.”
Images:
To learn more about Worldchefs’ sustainability curriculum, please visit https://www.feedtheplanet.worldchefs.org/Sustainability.
ABOUT WORLDCHEFS
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, is a dynamic global network of 110 chef associations worldwide. A leading voice in the hospitality industry, Worldchefs carries 91 years of history since its founding at the Sorbonne by the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a mobilized international membership of culinary professionals, Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large.
Worldchefs is dedicated to raising culinary standards and social awareness through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe.
For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
Paris, France · 8 July 2019 · The day 2,850 kids became Food Heroes
We committed to raising awareness about food waste and educating 30,000 kids about sustainable eating throughout 2019. July 8 was something of a milestone.
The original link can be found below.
The biggest number of workshops in a day took place in India as schoolchildren earned their superpower status.
Food Heroes is a global initiative supported by Electrolux Food Foundation along with partners to teach the future generation how better eating makes for a healthier planet.
In the city of Hyderabad, 85 classrooms across five schools opened their doors and 400 workshop facilitators flooded through. Trained one day prior, the volunteers were delegates at the annual AIESEC International conference.
AIESEC, along with Worldchefs make up the partnership trio that together with the Electrolux Food Foundation is bringing Food Heroes to fruition around the world.
Young leaders, chefs and employees from these organizations have taken the program to heart and their global networks are invaluable in spreading the message and taking workshops to offices, schools and kitchens.
The free-to-use toolkit was developed through the UNICEF sustainability initiative World’s Largest Lesson and is available in a multitude of languages.
Aimed at kids aged 8–12, the lesson plan inspires children to challenge and change their own food habits in a fun and playful way.
Want to join us? Download our toolkit here and help more kids to become Food Heroes.
Images
The original article can be found on the Electrolux page.
Click here to find out more about ‘Like a Chef’.
ABOUT WORLDCHEFS
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, is a dynamic global network of 110 chef associations worldwide. A leading voice in the hospitality industry, Worldchefs carries 91 years of history since its founding at the Sorbonne by the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a mobilized international membership of culinary professionals, Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large.
Worldchefs is dedicated to raising culinary standards and social awareness through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe.
For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
Paris, France · 5 June 2019: Welsh Chefs Appoint National Sustainability Champion
The Culinary Association of Wales has appointed a National Sustainability Champion to take forward Worldchefs initiatives across Wales to inspire sustainable food consumption.
Donna Heath, a hospitality training officer at award-winning work-based training provider Cambrian Training Company in Welshpool, is looking forward to her role which will see her work closely with schools, colleges and businesses.
She will promote and implement the Worldchefs Feed the Planet programmes, which include the Food Heroes Challenge, Food Waste Challenge and the Sustainability Curriculum.
Feed the Planet aims to inspire sustainable food consumption among communities and professionals and to support people in need through emergency relief, food poverty alleviation and education. Founded by Worldchefs, the initiative is run in partnership with Electrolux and AIESEC.
Worldchefs is promoting the programmes because one third of the food produced around the world currently goes to waste while 800 million people go to bed hungry.
The Food Heroes Challenge is a chef-driven education project for children. Using a toolkit developed through the UNICEF sustainability initiative, World’s Largest Lesson, schoolchildren, aged between eight and 12, are taught sustainable eating habits.
The initiative is designed to help inspire the next generation to eat sustainably. The
70-minute workshop includes activities, videos, workbook materials and a Food Hero award.
The Sustainability Curriculum involves a series of seven, two-hour workshops developed by Worldchefs to explore in detail the topics of food, energy, water and waste on a global, regional and local level. The curriculum is targeted at businesses and culinary colleges.
The Food Waste Challenge is designed to help businesses identify how they can reduce their food waste and set targets to work towards.
“My role is to raise awareness of these three initiatives across Wales,” said Donna, 33. “I am now in the process of contacting primary schools to gauge interest in the Food Heroes Challenge.
“By creating the resources in both English and Welsh, we have made it possible for schools to deliver the Food Heroes Challenge themselves, or we are happy to visit the classroom.
“Having a seven-year-old daughter, Amy, I am passionate about sustainability and making children responsible for their future. Sustainability is a very hot topic with the global debate about climate change and reducing plastic waste.”
Arwyn Watkins, OBE, Culinary Association of Wales president, said the association was taking the lead to increase engagement from chefs, educational establishments and Welsh Government policy leads in the Worldchefs Feed the Planet programmes in Wales.
“We have followed up the call to action from Worldchefs by appointing Donna as our National Sustainability Champion and she is now putting in place a process to roll out the Food Heroes Challenge to a limited number of schools in Wales,” he added.
“This will be our pilot year to help deliver on the World’s Largest Lesson and our members are being encouraged to support Donna to roll out this initiative in their local communities.”
Wales-based schools, businesses or colleges interested in finding out more about the Worldchefs Feed the Planet programmes are asked to contact Donna on 01938 555 893 or email [email protected].
Donna Heath, CAW’s National Sustainability Champion.
ABOUT WORLDCHEFS
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies, known as Worldchefs, is a dynamic global network of 110 chef associations worldwide. A leading voice in the hospitality industry, Worldchefs carries 91 years of history since its founding at the Sorbonne by the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a mobilized international membership of culinary professionals, Worldchefs is committed to advancing the profession and leveraging the influence of the chef jacket for the betterment of the industry and humanity at large.
Worldchefs is dedicated to raising culinary standards and social awareness through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe.
For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
For more information on Feed the Planet initiatives, visit www.howtofeedtheplanet.com.
Education for Employment, benefiting those in need of economic opportunity with culinary training, provides a completely free, 2-month training module to give students the skills they need to enter the foodservice world. To date, 84 students have graduated in 2 cities in Brazil and Moscow. Worldchefs, along with partners Electrolux Food Foundation and AIESEC, are preparing to launch additional programs in Brazil, Egypt, Argentina, and Sweden in this year alone.
In February 2019, the City of Curitiba published the below article, giving a glimpse into the positive impact of the Education for Employment program in their local community. The original article in Spanish is available here.
Curitiba, Brazil · 2 February 2019: Sustainable Gastronomy Course Opens New Professional Opportunities
To change their lives with a new profession is the objective of 22 participants from the 5th wave of the Gastronomia Sustentável course, held in the Electrolux CIC Headquarters in Curitiba. The course is an alliance between Worldchefs, Electrolux, AIESEC, Sodexo’s nonprofit entity Stop Hunger, and Curitiba’s social action foundation FAS – Fundação de Ação Social.
Now on its 5th wave, 93 students have been referred to the Gastronomia Sustentável course by CRAS – Centro de Referência de Assistência Social. Graduates finish the course with the skills and certificate needed to work as kitchen assistants.
An unemployed mother with a 2-year-old child, Mayara Andrade Cardoso walks at least 1 hour every day to get to and from the experimental kitchen at Electrolux’s facility, where the 108 hours of classes taught by local chefs take place. Without an income, she doesn’t have the money to pay the bus ticket.
She learned about the course one month ago, when she went to the CRAS Nossa Senhora da Luz social assistance center to ask for a basic food basket. CRAS centers, social assistance units of the FAS foundation, indicate candidates who could benefit from the course. “I had the chance to work as kitchen assistant and I really enjoyed it. I could grow in that area if I was better prepared and that’s what I’m looking for here,” says Mayara.
New life
That is what is happening to Feliciano Raiol Correa, a graduate from the last wave of students, originally from Pará, Brazil. Living in Curitiba with his wife of four years, he started to make his dream come true by working on a grill as soon as he got his certificate at the end of last year.
Immediately, Feliciano left his job as a screen installer and started to work as a kitchen assistant in a restaurant on the gastronomic square called “Mercado Sal” in Curitiba, where he prepares grilled meat. “If it wasn’t for the course, I wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity so fast. It was so worth having attended it. Now I’m stabilizing my economy, and I get to provide for myself and my family,” he explains. His next goal is to get a college degree in the gastronomy field.
A graduate from the very first wave of the program, former bus driver Graziele Regina Ferreira dos Santos opened a snack bar called “Grazi Lanches” around three months ago.
Her establishment is an individual microenterprise in the same building as where she lives, located in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Curitiba. “My husband is supporting my dream and invested money here,” tells the young entrepreneur, once unemployed for a long time.
She prepares most of the menu items served in her small establishment. What she doesn’t produce herself, she buys from her suppliers. “I can already pay some of the house bills and now, with the kids returning to the schools, the clients’ traffic will improve even more,” tells Graziele. She also notes another advantage of her exit from unemployment: working from home, she can stay closer to her daughters, 8 and 12 years old, and also save money on transportation to work. Her objective now is to improve her culinary skills. “If it were possible, I would attend a pastry course,” she concludes.
Besides the kitchen
Besides receiving practical classes about cooking techniques and all the elements of production for sweet and savory dishes, the students attend a workshop called “Mobiliza,” delivered by FAS. The workshop focuses on behavior improvement, with a main objective to develop the abilities and competences needed in the job market.
“It’s a strategy to contextualize what they have to keep in mind in order to develop themselves in the professional arena, besides mastering the fundamentals of gastronomy,” explains FAS’s job market specialist, José Ronaldo de Avellar Júnior.
Photo credit: Ricardo Marajo/FAS
About Worldchefs
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs) is a leading voice in the hospitality industry, with 110 chef associations worldwide and 91 years of history since its first President, the venerable Auguste Escoffier. Representing a dynamic global network of chefs and culinary professionals across all levels and specialties, Worldchefs is dedicated to maintaining and improving culinary standards through these core focus areas:
Education – Worldchefs offers support for education and professional development through the landmark Worldchefs Academy online training program, our expansive network of Worldchefs Certified Schools and curriculums, and the world’s first Global Hospitality Certification recognizing on-the-job skills in hospitality;
Networking – Worldchefs provides a platform for connection to chefs around the world, and a gateway for industry networking opportunities through endorsed events and the preeminent biennial Worldchefs Congress & Expo;
Competition – Worldchefs sets global standards for competition rules, provides Competition Seminars and assurance of Worldchefs Certified Judges, and runs the prestigious Global Chefs Challenge;
Humanitarian & Sustainability – our Feed the Planet and World Chefs Without Borders programs relieve food poverty, deliver crisis support, and promote sustainability across the globe. For more information about Worldchefs, visit us at www.worldchefs.org.
