Programme enhances food preparation skills at Kids Haven
“My confidence in the kitchen has improved, something that was never a real strength.”
A group of 21 youths and caregivers of Kids Haven have graduated from the Tiger Brands Food Handler Skills Programme.
The programme is geared at skills development and creating opportunities within the food industry, thus improving their livelihoods.
According to Adele Pillay, Kids Haven life coach, the skills acquired by the organisation’s caregivers and youth will help add to their efforts to care for and protect the children they support.
“We can now prioritise our children’s health when planning their meals,” she said.
“We want them to walk into a home and be embraced by the smell of cooking that creates a memory of how love feels, smells and tastes,” said Pillay.
Esther Mahlangu has been a caregiver at the organisation for the past 28 years and said she pours her love into every meal she prepares.
She said the programme has increased her knowledge of food she would not traditionally have used in her day-to-day cooking, adding healthier and more nutritious options for the children in her care.
She hopes to share her newfound knowledge with women in her community and empower them to start catering businesses, creating employment and generating an additional income.
For former Kids Haven resident and budding entrepreneur Siyabonga Mabena, the programme now has him searching for new opportunities to secure a future within the industry.
“It has helped to discover my creativity and expand my love for food,” said Mabena.
“I’ve already identified opportunities to start my own business, and the training I received has given me a good foundation to launch this dream.”
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