My goal right now is to work hard, hone the skills I have so far and upgrade my qualifications. I dream of running my own restaurant some day.
Mine is a story of overcoming trials and challenges; I definitely feel I’m constantly climbing a hill to reach my goals. Being orphaned at a young age, I grew up with my grandparents who didn’t have the means to provide me with an education. Needless to say, I couldn’t even obtain a primary school certificate, the basic education certificate in Uganda.
To make ends meet, I started digging at the equator for the Equatorline restaurant and while there, I got an opportunity to start washing utensils for this very restaurant. I washed dishes for two years, it’s in those two years that my passion for the culinary arts developed. My curiosity about food and what the chefs were cooking spurred me to learn to cook. It pushed me to find opportunities in the kitchen to learn cooking; I started with how to make chapati. During this period in my free time I volunteered to do other chores like peeling, which really impressed the kitchen staff and they taught me more .
The chefs at the restaurant noticed my interest and offered to help me learn more in cooking. After a while, I could perfectly make chapati on my own which achievement encouraged me to push myself harder to learn how to make other foods. I felt I could do it but at the same time my biggest fear set in. How could an uneducated me break out in this industry? I could barely speak English! All the chefs I worked with were very educated and had qualifications in the field. The dishes they prepared were pretty exoctic with names I couldn’t even pronounce.
I thank God for the chef who came my way at this particular point, he encouraged me with these words. “If you have the passion for cooking, you can make it.” I believed him enough to make a statement- I would hone my chapati making skills and acquire more skills. This very chef started to invest more time in me and I learned how to make steak, chop liver and so many other things. My added skills also brought me more income as my pay at the restaurant was increased.
Amidst all my triumphs and achievements in the culinary arts thus far, my deepest desire remained unresolved. I wanted to have an education but the money I was earning wasn’t enough to send me to school. I had to feed, dress and have a roof over my head but school never stopped ringing in my mind. I shared my goals with the restaurant manager then who promised to help me as much as he could. As luck would have it, it’s within that period that I learned about the Nkuze Youth Foundation.
I was very skeptical at first to approach the foundation leadership for help but I realized that trying doesn’t kill, if they were meant to help, they would help; better still what’s the worst that could happen? I made a video of myself detailing my dreams and current dilemma. I then sent the video to the foundation team leader who was very helpful, I was so glad. He encouraged me and explained to me the general protocol of getting help from the foundation. After that conservation I processed all the documentation the foundation needed and I submitted them.
Weeks later the foundation got in touch and informed me that they would take me on and were willing to sponsor my culinary education. I was overjoyed! My dreams were starting to come to life, right away I started on a hunt for a culinary school. God was on my side, I was admitted at St. Clare vocational school, Kankoobe for a one year certificate in culinary arts.
As with every school program, I had to do an internship. So after the program, I got an internship placement at Gators Cafe for two weeks. When I got to Gators Cafe I was excited but got very scared in no time; their kitchen was big, bigger than the kitchen I worked at and the machines! I had never seen them before. There were also 15 chefs in one kitchen whoa! I can say I was mesmerised.
In all my shock and excitement, I composed myself and started my internship duties. I found favor before the chefs and they taught me a great deal of things, thanks to my hard working nature. After my 2 week internship, I was offered a job at the Cafe; I was very elated. This meant a better salary and a growth opportunity for me. I later got a job in Kampala which is currently giving me more exposure, more money and more growth opportunities. I’m really grateful because where I am is a big thing for me. I! Ssozi Abdul, I am Chef and I have a certificate, it still gives me goosebumps.
My goal right now is to work hard, hone the skills I have so far and upgrade my qualifications. I dream of running my own restaurant some day.
I am so grateful to the Nkuze Youth Foundation. for all the support they have rendered to me. I don’t think I would be here without their support. They gave me an opportunity to go to school and have continuously mentored me. The foundation provided for everything I needed for my school journey, they kept checking in, encouraging me and cheering on every step of the way. They are the family I never had. My biggest dreams are coming true because of the sacrifices they have made for me.
