Underprivileged kids set as future world-class chefs.
From being street children with limited chances of a better future, 10 scholars from the Tuloy Sa Don Bosco Foundation have finally graduated from their three-month training at the highly-acclaimed Ducasse Institute in the Philippines.
The French-born Alain Ducasse, a celebrated chef and restaurateur who holds 21 Michelin stars, began a social responsibility initiative in the country called “Youth with a Future” to give these young kids a chance to change their lives by learning the “true craft of cooking.”
In a graduation ceremony held at the Enderun College, the scholars receive their certificate from the Ducasse Institute Philippines after having undergone an intensive culinary program.
Guests who attended the ceremony were donors and supporters of Youth with a Future, including David Batchelor, the managing director of Raffles and Fairmont Hotel in Makati City. Also in attendance were Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez, president of Enderun Colleges and Fr. Rocky Evangelista, founder of Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation.
The 10 scholars were also tasked to prepare a sumptuous dinner for their guests, with the guidance of Enderun College’s Culinary division head, Chef Cheong Yan See.
After the students impressed guests with their culinary talents, Tuloy Foundation’s Evangelista expressed his gratitude to the generous donors who invested in the scholars.
He emphasized his goal to eradicate the society of homeless children by giving them opportunities to pursue their dreams.
Each student was finally awarded with a Certificate of Culinary Arts from Ducasse Education in France. Furthermore, the scholars were successfully placed for internship at acclaimed establishments such as Vask, Chateau 1771, Soprano Restaurant of the City of Dreams, and Raffles and Fairmont Makati. There were also four scholars who have been accepted to work at the Four Seasons Resort in Dubai.
Youth with a Future was inspired by Ducasse’s Women with a Future initiative also by famed Ducasse, where underprivileged women from Paris are selected to train for a year in a specially designed culinary program. This time, the chef wanted to “contribute to the global fight against poverty,” as stated in the foundation’s website.
Tuloy Foundation is a non-government and non-profit organization that provides residential care and comprehensive educational programs for street children in order to reintegrate them into mainstream society. In close coordination with Tuloy, Ducasse Institute Philippines enhanced the curriculum of Tuloy’s culinary center by patterning it after the existing programs offered in Enderun’s campus. Following an eight-month program in Tuloy’s campus, the scholars were exposed to further training at Ducasse Institute Philippines for three months.
Another batch of scholars from Tuloy Foundation will be accepted next year. For those who wish to support this project, visit www.youthwithafuture.ph or email info@youthwithafuture.ph.