Cooking up a storm

By Francine Zhang

Cooking classes started at the Seng Girls Home in mid-July of 2015, with 10 of the older girls enrolled in the class. As a new Vocational Development program funded by The Fung (1906) Foundation, there are now 6 classes every week running for 45 minutes each. The students are happy they can learn cooking as a skill and find it interesting.  They told me that they have learned lots of things in the class, like egg and meat soup is nourishing and that it is good to health if we cook dishes with less salt, pepper and oil.  Other things they have learned is the importance of trimming finger nails, wearing a mask, not speaking aloud to prevent the saliva dropping into the meals and wearing a hat to prevent hair dropping into the meals.  My heart was moved when I saw them talking with shiny smiles and exciting expressions.  It looks like these things are so new to them.  They are delighted and proud to know these things.

The girls told me that after half a month of study all of them can make at least three dishes.  They set to work to prove this to me and so they prepared a wonderful lunch for me.  The 10 girls were divided into 5 groups with each group cooking one dish.  I ate fried potato, egg, cabbage, green pepper with beef and mushroom.  It was all delicious.  Amu and Chungpo made the potatoes taste the best so I decided to give them a chocolate bar as a reward.

I feel great about the cooking project.  Thank you to our generous donors, The Fung (1906) Foundation, for your support and for the opportunity given to these girls.

(For more information about this project or to find out how you could partner with Captivating to bring lasting change to families in remote rural locations, contact andrewc@captivating.org)