Announcement (Click here for flyer)

Prodg would like to introduce an innovative new program by one of our supporters, Nadege Fleurimond of Fleurimond Catering, Inc.  Nadege Fleurimond is an entrepreneur living in New York City. As some of you may remember, she was one of the first interviews we conducted last year.  Please read below her new program that is taking New York by storm.

Cooking it up...by Nadege Fleurimond

Having been reared in a Haitian household, where home cooking was essential, I could not believe the number of Haitian adolescents and teens that I saw standing at the KFCs, Chinese restaurants and McDonalds in New York. Though we have always been a culture that does not focus on weight, we used to be a culture that focused on fresh and naturally grown foods. And I fear because of lack of time on the part of parents and the myriad of bad choices available on every corner, we are definitely moving in a bad direction-away from a healthy and nutritional rich diet to one that is loaded with "ambiguous" and very unhealthy ingredients.

Young Culinary Masters (YCM) is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to ensuring that young people take control of their eating, their health and their careers. During the adolescent years, youngsters typically become more autonomous, taking ownership of their lifestyles including their food intake. With the rise in obesity, eating disorders, and malnutrition among adolescents, it has become increasingly important that we address these pandemics and provide reasonable solutions. Young Culinary Masters hope to take advantage of this pivotal pubescent time by providing disadvantaged youths, many of which are Haitian, with a unique avenue to nutrition education by teaching adolescents the importance of eating healthy, and giving them the tools and skills necessary to assume a healthier diet. Young Culinary Masters hope to break the cycle of malnutrition by promoting a guide to healthy eating as a way of life.

We have various workshops and seminars targeted towards children of different age groups. Our programs promote healthy eating habits through education, cooking techniques and food preparation skills. The summer programs provide internship and job opportunities to these youngsters in an attempt to build a foundation of knowledge, skills, and experience in preparation for apprenticeship and beyond. In addition, these programs will not only act as educational tools but will also provide opportunities that foster interest in an alternate career path—the Culinary Arts.

What I have learned is that kids enjoy cooking. They enjoy learning new things. YCM hopes to capitalize on this eagerness to help these young people change their lives and the lives of those around them. Growing up, label reading was not essential. We come from a country where again, for the most part, we knew where and what was in our food. Many older Haitians don't understand how vital it is to read those labels, and some of them don't even understand the concept of trans-fat, saturated fat and non-saturated fats. On the other hand, you still have the ones that are of the school of thought that being big is a sign of health. That's why this program aims at educating the young people while they are still open and willing to learn. They can then take back this knowledge into their homes.

I am a strong believer in Prodg's mission of empowering our young people and spotlighting the great Haitian talent we have out there. That is why I invite all Prodg readers to attend our Recipe for Success Benefit Gala on April 28, 2007 at the Broad Street Ballroom in New York, NY.  We have 2 wonderful Haitian women that are involved with this project. Journalist & Food Network Host Marlie Hall & Manhattan Deputy Borough President, Rosemonde-Pierre Louis two Haitian women that are truly making their mark in the world. Again, I invite everyone to join us on April 28, 2007, to help make Young Culinary Masters an even bigger success. Please check out our events page for further details http://www.youngculinarymasters.org/events.html. If you are unable to attend this function, you can still support our benefit and programs by contacting me at admin@youngculinarymasters.org