In my line of career of over 15 years, there are many good things happening and I couldn’t ask for more.
My career as rural tourism developer gave me a privilege to enjoy many things
- Visit various beautiful places
- Step into many places haven’t been visited by many people
- Experience the luxurious accommodations and secluded destinations
- Taste the most delicious food at several regions
- Enjoy the authenticity of own country
- Travel around the country, especially being one of the fortunate people who are paid to travel
- Inspire others and the young generations
- Meet great people who have variety of skills & expertise
- Warm welcome by everyone
- Last but not least, to help others to grow, with skills and knowledge
I am fortunate enough to do that work, but what’s more is to be able to help others in my line of work. In February and March, 2022 I was able to coordinate the less fortunate people (especially women; more than 70% of total of 75 trainees ) to join the training: Cooking and Food and Beverage service. They are living in different parts of the village and provinces spreadout in the northern part of Cambodia which are remote, yet touristic areas where service such as food and drink is in demand; adding skills is just the right thing to do.
- The cooks learnt new skills such as cooking western dish, local but authentic and modernised dish, vegetarian dish and calculate proportion and ingredients to be used in each of them properly.
- Those who are in Food and Beverage service learn how to make local coffee, also learn how to use machine for standard coffee, make juices and smoothies, then cocktail and fresh fruit juices. Then, they also learnt how to set up table and how to serve better.
These might look normal, it is just another skills but to them, it is like giving sustainable life skills which they can use at home for life. Many of them cannot even finish high school and life the below the poverty line at remoted areas. Their incomes are from small work in the field (pick up cashew seeds from plantation, pick wild honey, wild bamboo, wild fruits and other seasonal non-timber forest products), So, it is so good to learn that some of these trainees have opened their café and also plan to run more soon. That’s so pleasant and satisfied to learn about that. That’s also what defined my life as well which is to contribute my knowledge back to the vulnerable [I was born and raised in the countryside]. I found joy and satisfaction in working in this sector and with these people.
Ladies from rural areas holding their plates after practicing in the kitchen
High end resort exposure visiting
Cook trainee and vegetable spring roll she made
Cock trainer explained things to these ladies
Members of rural communities focused on learning!
Realtime classroom
Local café to be launched (photo was before 20 Mar and now the restaurant and café is operating by the trainees we sent for training)
A series of Support Local Business articles
What do you think? @MukulR ? What are other ways to help them?
