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One of the lucky women who had the opportunity to be trained at the Haenertsburg Cooking Clinic by retired award-winning chef Eric de Jonge. Photo supplied.

Cooking clinic unlocks new opportunities for many

 

Thanks to the Haenertsburg Cooking Clinic, many women from rural villages now have the opportunity to make something of their lives which, under normal circumstances, would not have been possible for them.

The cooking clinic is the brainchild of retired award-winning chef Eric de Jonge, who saw an opportunity to use his skills and experience to help and teach young people more about preparing and cooking healthy meals.

In 2013, the Ackerman’s Pick ‘n Pay Foundation kindly agreed to sponsor a group of 20 young women who were selected from neighbouring rural villages. The trainees had no former cooking experience or training.  Eric ran the clinic in the Village Hall in Haenertsburg, where the students were taught basic skills such as food preparation, hygiene, table setting and presentation.  The aim was to provide them with enough basic skills, so they will be able to find employment in the hospitality industry.

As a result of the clinic, three teams participated in the cooking competition during the Kiwifruit Festival in April 2013. Two of the trainees qualified for a bursary worth R69 000 each and were enrolled in the National Youth Development Chef Training Programme. Quite a few of the trainees have been offered jobs at a catering company and have found employment in the local hospitality trade.

The Pick ‘n Pay Foundation very kindly agreed to another sponsorship for the cooking clinic and 12 young students were selected to participate and be trained. At the same time, a trainee trainer will be trained to ensure sustainability and to continuation of the training process in the area. Social development has always been a big part of Haenertsburg, and this clinic has certainly had a huge impact on the young people in the surrounding rural areas in helping to alleviate poverty and unemployment.

The trainees, upon completion of their course, will again have the opportunity to seek employment and they will also be assisting some of the professional chefs during the Kiwifruit Festival Cooking Competition on 3 and 4 May in Haenertsburg. For more information please contact Eric de Jonge on 083 468 2043.

 

Date:17 April 2014

By: News Correspondent

Correspondent journalists from all over the region supply us with news and sport articles. 

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