The Fraternity – International Humanitarian Federation(FIHF), associate of Senai and World Vision, organized a professional training course happening from August 8 to September 10, for making sweet and savoury snacks.
It took place in the mornings, with in person attendance, in the Senai installations, and had a workload of 80 hours of training. The person in charge of the teaching task was a teacher also from the Senai campus, and the funding was provided by World Vision.
The objective of the course was to prepare the participants in making sweet and savoury snacks according to standards required for events, both for the conventional market and for enterprises.
The participating group was made up of twelve people: indigenous people from the Warao, Taurepang and Wayu tribes, as well as non-indigenous people connected with them, some also beginning the Continuous Education Program.
Results achieved
Although the majority of the participants had experience in culinary arts, they wanted to be professionally trained. They were surprised by the amount of new and different varieties of snacks that can be made, which greatly motivated them.
They also had the chance to practice Portuguese, which the course was taught in, which made it somewhat difficult for them to understand, and required an extra effort on the part of the teacher, Bárbara.
According to statements from this teacher, the course had a theoretical part and a practical part: “In the theory, all the hygiene processes in the kitchen were addressed, and they learned how to connect with the food in this environment. They then moved on to the practice, where they learned to prepare a wide variety of sweet and savoury dishes, such as Sfihas (Arabian empanadas), rolled pizzas, mini pizzas, Brigadier gourmet chocolates, and other sweets.
Bárbara continues, saying: “This was my third group with the refugees in three months, in collaboration with Senai and the NGOs. I felt a great pleasure in welcoming them here at Senai; we ended up becoming a large family”… “as they’re far from their country, in a different city, we receive them affectionately and hospitably, which every human being deserves. What I really admire in this association between the Fraternity and Senai is how others are seen, through a humanized view.”
She also commented that for some of the students, it meant learning something they would only use to delight their families, but “there are students who will continue making sweets and savouries to sell. I’ve had students approach me who have said:
Teacher, I have an inquiry and I would like you to tell me, how much should I charge?, how much should I make?…” It’s very important that we receive these comments after they leave the course, because we can see that it has been worthwhile; it’s very gratifying.”
And she concludes, “we can change pain into learning, and each day, these beings can reinvent themselves through the opportunities that both the Fraternity and Senai produce and generate for them.”
