Former Street Children To Benefit From The ‘Youth with A Future’ Charity Raffle
Students of Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation
Article by Gem Malgar
Ongoing is the charity raffle, “Youth With A Future”, which was launched last December 10, 2013 and will continue on until March 20, 2014. The raffle is a joint initiative of France-based Ducasse Education, in cooperation with Ducasse Institute Philippines (DIP) and Enderun Colleges for the benefit of the culinary center of Tuloy Foundation, Inc.
The idea of “Youth With A Future” is an extension of charity work of Chef Alain Ducasse from the successful project, “Women With A Future” (Femme en Avenir). In 2011, Ducasse invited one hundred struggling women from all over France to train in a technical school, studying the basis of French cuisine and then applying the practical aspect in his establishments. Fifteen women were chosen to be employed in one of his restaurants, like the Plaza Athénée and Jules Verne. The Filipino counterpart of this cause targets former Manila street children, pupils studying in the Tuloy Sa Don Bosco.
In recent years, Enderun Colleges’ very own Chef Cheongyan See and Chef March Chalopin had been volunteering their time at Tuloy Sa Don Bosco. Last March 2013, upon their invitation, Chef Jérôme Lacressonnière of Ducasse Education visited the facility and communicated the results of his visit to Chef Ducasse. “After learning more about the Tuloy Foundation from chef Jérôme Lacressonnière on his last visit in Manila, I was very impressed by its rich advocacy, which is to reintegrate street children into mainstream society through a comprehensive program of caring, healing and teaching,” explained Ducasse.
Prizes for the “Youth With A Future” have been selected by Alain Ducasse himself, and mostly consist of items that are not yet available in the country—which include Ducasse’s books J’aime Monaco, Spoon Cook Book, and J’aime Paris, and two 750ml bottles of Alain Ducasse Champagne. Also up for grabs are an overnight stay at F1 Hotel, and gift certificates for select Enderun Extension seminars.
All proceeds from the “Youth With a Future” raffle will go towards funding the Culinary Center of Tuloy Sa Don Bosco Streetchildren Village, located within the Elsie Gaches Village Compound in Alabang. Designed as a haven for marginalized children, the village is supported and operated by the Tuloy Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization founded by Fr. Marciano “Rocky” Evangelist of the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1993. What started as a small room housing twelve children in Makati, Tuloy Sa Don Bosco is now a 4.5-hectare functioning village complete with medical, housing, clothing, spiritual, and counseling services.
The Ducasse Institute Philippines (DIP) will be selecting qualified youths from Tuloy Sa Don Bosco to participate in a ten-month program with the help of Chef See and Chef Chalopin. The selected candidates, will be taught following an Enderun-designed culinary curriculum in Tuloy’s Culinary Center for eight months. In the last two months, the promising chefs-to-be will train in Enderun’s Culinary Center to further hone their skills. After their training period, the school will give them a chance to complete their internships at local establishments. Upon completion of their internships, the “Youth With A Future” pupils will graduate with a Ducasse Institute Diploma.
Tickets are priced at Php500 and may be purchased at the Second Story Bookstore, and from any member of the Enderun’s Sales and Marketing Team, and also from work-study students and scholars. The raffle draw will be on Friday, March 21, 2014. The winners will be posted on Enderun’s Facebook Page and “Youth With A Future”’s website.
A charity dinner with Alain Ducasse as the guest of honor is also being planned for the benefit of the said cause. Details to be announced. For inquiries and the full list of prizes, visit the website at http://www.youthwithafuture.ph/
