Cooking for Life is a charity that helps underprivileged kids by teaming up with restaurants and hotels to provide weekly cooking lessons and other food related adventures. Famous chef, Martin Yan, is the ambassador of the charity and always spends time with the children when in Hong Kong.
The charity was established by Philippe Bru in 2007, after he established the Football for Life Charity, which helps children through sport. Bru (pictured below) is the current chairman and runs these charities in his spare time, such is his passion for helping children in Hong Kong. I spoke to this generous and dedicated man to learn more about the charity and to find out what you can do to help this worthy cause.
Tell me more about the Cooking for Life charity.
Cooking for Life is dedicated to bettering the lives of underprivileged children through education in cookery. Our mission is to provide these children access to activities that are not normally available to them, and to afford them the chance to integrate and interact in new surroundings.
Our vision is that we will ultimately provide the participants the chance to take up employment in a major kitchen or send them to a world renowned hotel school, opportunities they would never have thought possible.
Where do you find the children to benefit from the charity?
We work with other charities in Hong Kong that are dedicated to working with those from a range of underprivileged situations. We have been working with eight organisations including Against Child Abuse, the Neighbourhood Advice Action Council, Christian Action, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Medical Social Services, Hong Kong Children & Youth Services, Changing Young Lives Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs Association.
How has the charity grown since it was launched in 2007?
The vision was to send a few underprivileged children to a few hotels and restaurants. After nearly two years, we have already sent more than 2,000 children to more than 25 hotels and restaurants.
So far, which restaurants or hotels have lent their support?
Amber, FINDS, Dakota Prime, H one, Lumiere, Cuisine Cuisine, Club Gourmet, Regal Hotels (three hotels), Novotel, Harbour Plaza Hotel, Le Meridien Cyberport, Marco Polo (three hotels), Holiday Inn Goldenmile, and Morton's of Chicago. The last three are currently holding classes for the kids between now and the end of the year.
Disciples Escoffier in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Chefs Association, and Hong Kong Young Chefs Club are also supporters.
Is it difficult to get the support you need?
Yes, it is surprisingly difficult to convince hotels and restaurants to help even though the concept is pretty simple. Hotels and restaurants host 15 children every Saturday from 3-5pm. The kitchen determines the theme of each session and teaches the children basic dishes to cook.
Getting support is the most challenging aspect and that is why we are trying to open the Community Culinary Centre (CCC).
Tell me more about the CCC.
The Community Culinary Centre is an exciting way to involve more members of the community on an ongoing basis. More than that, it also allows businesses to involve themselves in the community too. Our fund-raising campaign is to establish a CCC that will serve Hong Kong's lowest income communities, seven days a week. The benefit to the children is huge. By being open seven days a week, the programme will be accessible to more children, encouraging commitment and continuity. And, a broader range of services and training can be provided for the children. We would also be able to educate families about healthy eating practices to try to reduce the increasing obesity rates among children.
We envisage that funding can be generated for the programmes through commercial use of the centre for corporate training programmes, team building, etc, allowing businesses to give back to the community and benefit at the same time.
To date the first CCC has been designed, and a place has been verbally secured. Our vision is not to open only one CCC but many across Hong Kong, with famous chefs from around the world invited to help, as well as anyone involved in the F&B industry. Currently Disciples Escoffier have been helping by spreading the word around the chefs community but if we open the CCC, they will help a lot on a practical level.
On a personal note, what is the most rewarding aspect of helping children?
When I was young I was very fortunate to have a mother keen to bring me to markets and to teach me how to cook, as well as support me to study at a hotel school. I therefore want to give a chance to all these underprivileged children and for them to experience markets, learn how to cook simple dishes from fine hotels and restaurants and of course meet chef Martin Yan whenever he is in Hong Kong. I understand that two children are very keen to join any hotel school and we'll try to help them. Being able to help in big and small ways is the most rewarding aspect.
Other than making a donation or volunteering, in what ways could WOM readers help?
Persuade hotels and restaurants to join the CFL programme! Also to realise the first CCC we need serious donations, therefore, any contacts would help.
