Education Brazil Project #29872

Train Brazilians in Sustainable Culinary Arts

by Movimento Saúde Mental

Train Brazilians in Sustainable Culinary Arts

Project Report | Jan 3, 2024
Happy New Year! (and on to a new project)

By Natasha Baker | Development Volunteer

Iranilda with her program certificate

Hello GlobalGiving community. Happy New Year! Feliz Ano Novo!

Today's report is a special one because it is the last one. Don't worry: the Sustainable Culinary School is not going anywhere. It will continue to provide lifechanging mental health and education support for its students, helping them launch careers and businesses in the food and hospitality sectors. It will continue to expand through its catering arm (Giardino Buffet). But since we have successfully fundraised for this project, we are going to turn our attention to a new project we can't wait to tell you more about: the Yes to Life (Sim à Vida) Anti-Drug program for children. Yes to Life is a vital program making sure that low-income youth in some of Fortaleza's most dangerous neighborhoods have a safe place to be outside of school hours. School is only part-time, leaving many hours each day where youth are out of school and at risk of getting involved in street life. Yes to Life provides a structured and safe environment with activities and food to keep kids on the right track. We hope you will continue to be a Mental Health Movement supporter by supporting Yes to Life!

As for the Sustainable Culinary School, we rounded out 2023 with a bang.

610 people graduated from the School's Feeding Dreams program, which is run in partnership with M. Dias Branco (a major food company in Brazil)
40 people graduated from our Culinary Art and Therapy program, which is run in partnership with the Cooperforte Institute, with 70% of graduates landing jobs or launching their own ventures
6,000 meals prepared by Culinary School students and distributed for free to residents of the Bom Jardim neighborhood, contributing to the "Zero Hunger" program dedicated to eliminating hunger in the state of Ceará

And these successes are not just numbers. Iranilda graduated from the Sustainable Culinary School and launched her own business called Doçuras da Loira (Sweets of the Blonde Lady). She shares:

"I was looking for a job I could do from home because I didn't have anyone whom I could leave my son with, until I learned about the free classes the Mental Health Movement was offering. That's when I saw a window of opportunity. I started and dedicated myself completely. Before I knew it, I was starting my own business, working for myself, and it was really rewarding."

Thank you for changing the course of Iranilda and her son's lives for the better. This is the magic your donations make possible!

Wishing all of you a very peaceful and prosperous 2024.

Muito obrigada,

Natasha (Development Volunteer)

Mitakuye Oyasin
Îandé Memé Maranongara
Somos Todos Parentes
We Are All Related

students & staff with meals for Zero Hunger

Iranilda (far right) with fellow students

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Sep 11, 2023
We Are So Close!

By Natasha Baker | Development Volunteer

Ms. Neta Holding Her Certificate of Completion

Hello supporters!

First of all, thank you. Your donations make this life-changing work possible. You have been so generous with your donations that we are so close to reaching our goal of $10,000 for the Sustainable Culinary School. We’re only $1,232 away from reaching our goal; could you donate $5 today to help us finish this fundraiser?

Second, we’ve got some great updates for you. The Sustainable Culinary School operates various projects, and one of them is called “Feeding Dreams” (Alimentando Sonhos). So far, this project has trained over 500 students. Classes are offered not only at the Sustainable Culinary School headquarters, but also at professional kitchens around the city of Fortaleza, expanding the project’s reach. The vast majority of students are women and members of the queer community. The project involves not just technical support in terms of learning how to cook and enter the culinary business, but the project also has social workers and psychologists on staff to support students in their holistic well-being.

One student we’ll highlight today is Ms. Neta. An indigenous woman, Ms. Neta took the Commercial Savory Treats course with the Sustainable Culinary School. Prior to taking the course, Ms. Neta sold savory snacks in her home city of Maracanaú (which borders Fortaleza and is home to many indigenous people), but she had given up because she was unsure about standardizing her recipes and how to properly price her goods. With the skills and confidence she gained from the course, Ms. Neta decided to re-launch her business and now her business is stronger than ever!

This is the kind of empowerment and motivation that your donations make possible. Thank you. Obrigada.

Mitakuye Oyasin
Îandé Memé Maranongara
Somos Todos Parentes
We Are All Related

Feeding Dreams Students in Front of LGBTQ+ Center

Students with their Delicious Savory Foods

Yum!

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May 10, 2023
Solidarity in the Kitchen

By Natasha Baker | Development Volunteer

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