Poverty fails to put stop to chef dream
“Coming from the background I came from, I never dreamed that I would go to university one day.”
Blayi, however, said that all changed when he was selected to attend the annual department of social development Youth Camp in Port Alfred last year.
Growing up poor in rural Flagstaff without parents, Noluvo Ngcobo, 28, said even though she always dreamed of being a chef, she never thought she would ever get a chance to become one.
“I was very scared to leave KwaCele village to come study but it is something I have always wanted to do,” she said.
Eastern Cape social development youth development head Masiza Mazizi yesterday said the 22 young people chosen to study at Stenden University had been selected following a province-wide search that included extensive interviews and house visits.
He said potential candidates had been identified at last year’s provincial youth camp hosted by Stenden in Port Alfred as well as ongoing youth dialogue courses.
“There was so much interest across the province that we asked our people to identify and interview candidates from the poorest communities before we selected the final 22.”
Mazizi said Stenden – which has campuses on several continents – had recently been identified by national Social Development officials as a leader when it came to youth development.
Stenden academic dean and general manager Dr Wouter Hensen said the one-year course would comprise six months training at the Port Alfred university followed by a similar period working in the hospitality industry itself.
Besides learning how to cook properly, all 22 will be taught interpersonal and communications skills as well as being helped to obtain drivers’ licences.
He said the bulk of youngsters doing the inaugural chefs course would be guaranteed work when they finished in a year’s time. —