October,20th is marked as International Chefs Day across the world. Since its creation by the Late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004, WorldChefs has been committed to using International Chefs Day to celebrate their noble profession, always remembering that it is their duty to pass on our knowledge and culinary skills to the next generation of Chefs with a sense of pride and commitment to the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had many implications on the Ghanaian economy including the hotel and restaurant sector which has been hard hit and has been paralyzed by the restrictions imposed by the government, inevitably leading to unemployment among cooks and kitchen staff, as there is no instrument such as ‘short-time work’ in Ghana to absorb them in such a situation (the same applies to the transport sector – motorcycle taxis).
On the other hand, there is a special situation during pandemic control in the health sector, where medical staff work overtime, are sometimes separated from their families for weeks on end and have no time to look after their own food supplies.
In providing a sustainable solution towards the loss of jobs within the hospitality sector in Ghana and rewarding the effort of frontline health workers through the pandemic, GIZ in partnership with Food for All Africa has launched a project aimed at providing food packages to health workers through a sustainable financing system that provides training and income for chefs who lost their jobs through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The food for all project is a GIZ implemented project being financed by the German Government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). At GIZ, the project is part of the develoPPP.de portfolio that works with the Private sector.
Speaking at a press briefing Executive Director of Food for All Africa, Chef Elijah Addo stated “The project aims to deliver nutritious food to frontline health workers and vulnerable groups through a sustainable financing system. Partners on the project are Food for All Africa, Polaris, OkadaGH, Vienna City, Ghana Health Service, The Chop Bar, Labadi Beach hotel.”
Read More: Election 2020: Politicians told to Preach and Work for Peace
He added the project would ensure the setup and daily delivery of meals to frontline health workers at treatment centres in Accra and secure jobs for cooks, kitchen personnel and motorcycle delivery people whose jobs are held because there is no public instrument to absorb laid-off staff due to the pandemic. 50,000 meals are expected to be served within the 14 months’ project period with approximately 10.000 beneficiaries. This will be for both the frontline workers and vulnerable groups. About 40 chefs are also expected to benefit.
There would also be a capacity-building of chefs to ensure an easier start for them after the pandemic and therefore called on support from individuals and corporate partners.
Other stakeholders can partner with the project in various ways. Donations both in cash and in-kind are welcome through donate@foodforallafrica.com