7 minute read
Feeding Hope: From Kitchen to Community
Fortune Kangueehi, a celebrated private chef, MasterChef South Africa finalist, and award-winning Namibian culinary expert, has been making waves in the culinary world with her innovative approach to cooking and community empowerment.
Known for her impressive skills and engaging presence, Fortune has recently embarked on a transformative mission that blends her passion for cooking with a deep commitment to social impact.
From passion to profession
A foodie at heart, Fortune spent many years working in the fields of marketing and advertising. However, cooking always seemed to come naturally to her. After reaching the top 18 of MasterChef South Africa, she returned to her corporate job but soon she was unhappy, stressed, burnt out and ready for a change. As she puts it, her passion came looking for her. “I’ve always known I wanted to cook, and I knew that I wanted to do something with my cooking that can make a difference; something that could empower people. When I started this journey, I had a concept – training domestic workers to cook. I always thought the idea of coming home to a delicious meal that their domestic worker had prepared for them would be appealing to corporate men and women.”
The idea took off, and soon she was earning her way by teaching others to cook. Fortune explains that her process is tailor-made, where she sits with her clients to understand their exact needs. A warm memory comes to mind: “I was once doing a consultation with a new client and his domestic worker kept making sarcastic sounds as we spoke. Afterwards, I asked her what that was about and she told me that it was because she was told years ago that she was unteachable and so I would not be able to teach her anything. She told me that she had never been to high school because of this belief.” Fortune goes on to share how she cried when after her time with this woman she received a voice note from her, saying that Fortune had brought light into her life. She shared that Fortune had made her believe that she too could learn something. “Now she’s making dishes that she cannot pronounce, but she’s making them. It is the most rewarding thing I’ve experienced all my life.”
“It was here, teaching domestic workers that I realised that this is where my passion lies. I love teaching my skills to others.” Fortune explains that she has added many other areas of teaching to her repertoire since she first launched Cooking with Fortune. She now does group lessons for adults and for children.
Another interesting area of focus is meals for tourists. As she explains, “This is about giving people a real Namibian food experience. I am a foodie – when I travel, I want to experience another country’s food. It’s the easiest way to get to know a culture. The way I do it is a complete Namibian experience. I take them with me to the markets at single quarters, we buy fresh ingredients together and then we cook together, and I tell them about the food and about Namibia.
Nourishing futures
Even more fascinating is the work Fortune is doing at orphanages and early childhood development (ECD) centres. “It was actually at one of my kiddie lessons when an ex-colleague, who runs the Hope Village orphanage, asked for my help. The children at Hope Village didn’t know how to cook, they haven’t been in kitchens watching their mothers cook, and that is how most of us learn. So I started training three girls, and you won’t believe the difference it made. I then trained the caregivers, and it made me realise that there’s a real need in orphanages and ECD centres.”
Fortune explains that she would start her process by first visiting the pantries at the orphanages or ECD centres. “At Hope Village, they used to serve the children pasta with tomato sauce on it. This is not about access to food; it is about not understanding the nutritional side. When you’re trying to stretch the dollar, you end up buying things like tomato sauce. I went in and said we should rather get lentils or peas or things that last longer but also have nutritional value. I have taught them how to make bone broth (which is full of nutrients) from the bones they would normally throw away, or vegetable stock from vegetable scraps. Also the aspect of wastage. You often have people bring their oversupply to orphanages.” Fortune describes how if there is an abundance of pumpkins for example, farmers might drop off their excess at an orphanage or ECD centre, but without the knowledge of how to preserve food, it would often go to waste. “I show them how to preserve it, puree it or dry it so that it keeps longer.”
This is about giving people a real Namibian food experience. I am a foodie – when I travel, I want to experience another country’s food. It’s the easiest way to get to know a culture.
After realising the need in this regard, Fortune approached the nutrition team of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Farming for Resilience Project. “They encourage backyard gardening and together we did a workshop to teach people how to prepare the food they grow. In this one session we did together, I had ten caregivers from different ECD centres, and I explained which macronutrients and micronutrients the body needs, what the different vitamins are and in which foods they can be found. I also explained that if you boil something for hours and throw the water out, there goes all of the goodness of the food. It was incredible and I hope to be able to do more of this training all over Namibia.”
With malnutrition a concern all over Namibia, and many children receiving only the one meal they get at an after-school feeding programme for the entire day, the importance of making this meal as nutritious as possible cannot be overstated. “I want to help the people making these meals to get the most benefit out of the food that they have.”
Beyond the plate
Fortune has identified nutrition as the next area of focus for her personal development in order to further this important work. She adds that other focus areas for her include owning a piece of land with a garden, so that she can use it to host her various training events. And then, of course, she still has an intriguing television project in the pipeline. “The show is a celebration of Namibian people and the food we eat. I’m currently securing sponsors and am about to start filming the pilot. I have already received some funding for this pilot from the Namibian Film Commission, along with food sponsorships from Shoprite Checkers.”
Fortune’s passion for cooking extends to her personal life. She describes cooking as an act of self-love and emphasises the importance of understanding the origins and benefits of the food we consume. Her classes aim to instil this appreciation in others, encouraging healthier eating habits and a deeper connection to food.
When asked what other areas of empowerment she hopes to tackle in the future, she notes the misconception that the kitchen is a female-only zone as she points out the cross-cultural belief that boys do not need to learn skills in the kitchen. Fortune recalls a training she did recently where a young man from the Zambezi Region in attendance had never learned how to open a can before. “He told me that this course changed his life. Before, he used to get takeaways for every meal he ate; now he makes his own food and even invites friends over to enjoy a meal which he has prepared. I cannot emphasise enough how much boys need to learn how to cook too, not only for their empowerment but also for the sake of their health and nutrition.”
Fortune Kangueehi’s work is a testament to the power of food as a tool for empowerment and transformation, impacting lives and fostering a greater appreciation for the art of cooking.
Get in touch with Fortune on her social media handle: @cooking_withfortune on Instagram, or send an email to fortunekangueehi@gmail.com
Fortune will be sharing her journey, her views on nutrition and more on the TEDx Vineta Women stage on the 12th of October.
