Sonam is a single mom of two children. She had to drop out of school when she was just in second grade. Because of this, she had limited options for employment. She worked as a waitress, with low salary and long working hours. She also had to rely on her parents to take care of her children while she was working.
When she was introduced to the My First Job Program Assistant Chef Program, she did everything she could to make sure she could attend each training sessions and learn as much as possible.
Sonam proudly presenting her prepared dish
“Classes started in July, and in just three weeks, I learned seven dishes! Before I attended the training, I could only make noodles and dishes made of potatoes. Now, I feel very accomplished learning all these new dishes,” Sonam shared.
After the trainees finish preparing their dishes, the teachers provide them with comments to help them improve. Sonam’s teacher said that she cooks delicious food and is also active in class.
Sonam lives 70 kms away from where the training was held but that did not stop her from attending. She would stay at her parents’ home in town during training so she could attend regularly and her parents could take care of her children.
Sonam will graduate from the My First Job Assistant Chef training program early next year along with 24 other women. She hopes to find a job as a chef and earn a good salary. She also looks forward to finding work in the same town as her parents so she could stay with her parents and her children.
We are grateful to ZURU for funding 50% of this program, and opening up wider opportunities to more women like Sonam.
Above photo from left to right: Carrie [Project coordinator], Sonam, Francine [Captivating staff]
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