As Fatima deployed her culinary prowess in top-notch kitchens of the world, she knew she was being given opportunities that many did not have, nor even thought of. Fati wanted to change that, and by putting herself out there through the media opportunities she had, she was able to show people that they too, could do it.
It is a powerful thing to see yourself reflected back at you from a realm you think is impossible. Benazir Bhutto made it easy for Pakistanis to see how women can occupy the highest office in the country. Kamala Harris has made it possible for young women with Indian and black backgrounds to know that they too can end up in the White House. Fati wanted to inspire just one girl like her – who could only dream of maybe one day becoming a chef – look on, see her and think ‘Hey, look! She’s like me, if she can do it, that means I can too.’
Professional training for chefs
The food business, and being a ‘bawarchi’ is a tough but rewarding business. You can make a great career out of it if you have the passion and what it takes. Like any craft, becoming a chef, too, is a way of living. It is what makes the countless hours on your feet, early mornings, late nights, burns, cuts, scrapes, and sacrifices all worth something. In Pakistan, we see this as a career pathway to enable economic independence and promote job growth. We want to extend the chance to those whose lives, and whose families’ lives, we think can change if given the right support and opportunity.
Inspiration
After her Chopped win, Fatima started getting messages from so many South Asian girls (and boys plus their moms and dads) about how she made them proud and inspired them; how she represented them in a world that all of a sudden seemed so much more attainable. This show of love encouraged her and continued to fuel her through her successes, especially during her run at Top Chef. Fatima wanted to show them what was possible. She believed it would be enough if she inspired just one girl or boy to choose culinary arts as a career – train as chefs or food entrepreneurs – and be proud of working in this field.
Project
Our Chef Training program wants to help lift up people local to Pakistan to better provide for themselves and their families through the food industry. We will be targeting people from lower socio-economic backgrounds who have a requisite level of education we feel necessary to maximize the offering of the training program. At this stage, we envisage the training program will span 12-16 weeks where the participants will learn the basics and go through relevant technical, educational, and hands-on sessions. Once the trainees complete the program, the Foundation will provide introductions for internship opportunities to allow practical training and give them a taste of life in the industry. This will potentially lead to future jobs or business opportunities, thereby allowing them to improve the quality of life for them and their families as well as contribute positively towards their communities in a steady and sustainable way. Our goal is to turn an employee into an employer, help raise the tide, and in turn, create more job opportunities.
From left to right: Chef Brandon Duley, Chef Logan Kendall, Chef Joseph Bott, Chef Fatima Ali
From left to right: Chef Alex, Chef Rachel, Chef Fatima Ali
Workshops
Inspiration
Fati loved cooking for others and showing them how easy and fulfilling it was to prepare simple, delicious meals and present them beautifully. She would teach as she created and managed Pop-Up dinners, and she would teach simply while cooking for friends.
Project
As a part of the initiative, our team will organize one-off workshops to share relevant skills and give the culinary arts a boost by creating and providing opportunities to those in the industry as well as to the general public. Our workshops are open to people from all walks of life – from farmers to restaurant owners, food obsessed home cooks, and whoever else wishes to learn. We hope to cover a wide range of skills, and concepts that were close to Fati’s heart, such as generating interest about local and seasonal produce – where it comes from, how it is grown, the many creative things to do with it, food wastage and how to minimise it and so many other areas we think are worth starting conversations about.
