Cape Town – In the spirit of Heritage Day, the Amy Foundation hosted a South African special meal cook-off, challenging its culinary students to show off their newly learned skills.
The Amy Foundation, formerly known as the Amy Biehl Foundation, was founded in 1998 by Linda and Peter Biehl after the death of their daughter Amy Biehl in Gugulethu in 1993.
Foundation manager Michelle Bagley said: “The Amy Foundation was started in Amy Biehl’s memory to offer young and disadvantaged youths opportunities to change their lives.
“We started by running afterschool and new skills development programmes, which is what we are still doing today.”
Bagley said the foundation caters for children between the ages of 5 and 18 years old in the townships of Gugulethu, Philippi and Bonteheuwel, while also running new skills development programmes for unemployed 18 to 35-year-old youths in Sybrand Park.
She said: “With our after-school programmes, we try to get children off the street and into active programmes like dance, sport and music. We also host educational programmes for numeracy and literacy.
“For our new skills initiatives, we offer hospitality sewing and design, beauty, soft skills and entrepreneurship and business skills.”
Yesterday, ahead of Heritage Day, the foundation hosted a cook-off for its culinary students who are undergoing a 3-month practical and life skills course. Divided into two teams, the group of about 30 learners cooked pap, chakalaka and boerewors.
The students’ trusty teacher, Chef Paul Aspeling, guided the learners through the process, commenting with words of encouragement from the sidelines.
Aspeling said: “I’m very proud of how this intake of students is shaping up. You can see the passion and ambition in some of them without needling, and it’s amazing to watch them grow and become curious. I can’t wait to see how well they will do when they are done here.
Aspeling volunteers at the foundation two days a week, sharing over 30 years of professional experience with the foundation’s beneficiaries.
“Such programmes are dear to my heart, they help mould our young ones into positive members of society,” he said.
Simamkele Sitoto, 24, who recently graduated from the culinary class and now volunteers at the foundation, said she was preparing to expand her baking business.
She said: “I came here because I was unemployed, I knew how to bake, but I never saw it as a skill I could use to uplift myself, start a business and make an income.
“Being here has opened my eyes, and while I’m gathering up money here and there to buy equipment and launch my business on a bigger scale, I have begun baking with what I have and selling it at the taxi rank, here and in my community.”
Also, in the spirit of Heritage Day, the Cape Argus donated some of the items that were used in the foundation’s cook-off, and additional items to bag 30 hampers for the learners to take home.
The Cape Argus said: “The Amy Foundation offers programmes which develop and empower youngsters from challenged vulnerable communities and offer them a skill. The food hampers will be of great help.
“While we will be celebrating Heritage Day on Saturday, the 30 youngsters will also be celebrating Heritage Day with their families over a braai meal made possible by the Cape Argus.”