新华社 (Xinhua News) – 面包香里传递异国爱心 (Love and Bread)

Xinhua News 新华社

面包香里传递异国爱心

2011年01月20日 20:30:08

1月20日,“小高老师”(中)在向孩子们展示如何“压面”。19岁的河南女孩金凯茹觉得自己特别幸运。9个月前,她因为付不起学费而辍学回家,和父亲在 一家餐厅打零工,苦苦支持弟弟妹妹继续读书。正当前途一片黯淡时,一群法国人通过当地的慈善组织找到了她,告诉她可以教她做法式面包。如今,金凯茹已经在 上海一家五星级酒店的西式面包房里开始了为期半年的实习,她告诉记者,主管对她的手艺很满意,如果能留在那里工作的话,弟弟妹妹的学费就不愁了。让金凯茹 重新找到生活希望的,是一群生活在上海的法国人。“在中国,不少孩子需要帮助。他们将来可能会为没有面包吃发愁,我们何不教会他们烤面包?”

于是两年 前,12个在沪工作的法国人发起创办了一个名叫“海上青焙坊”的公益机构。至今,来自全国各地的30多名贫困家庭的孩子通过学习烤面包的手艺找到了工作, 其中很多人穿上了洁白的厨师服,出入上海五星级酒店的面包工坊。 “面包等西式糕点在上海越来越受欢迎,各种连锁店接连开张,但地道的法式面包店还不多,当初创办这个机构的时候,就是看准这个市场缺口。”马弘睿是“海上 青焙坊”的项目经理,在上海生活六年,能说流利的中文。

“中国有句名言,‘授人以鱼不如授人以渔’,能改变这群孩子命运的不是钱,而是谋生的技能。” 在“海上青焙坊”,培训师都是地地道道的法国烘焙师。他们精通传统法式面包制作技艺,同时热心公益,不收任何费用。被孩子们亲切地叫做小高老师的高骞是上 海一家外资食品企业的烘焙技术专家,有10多年从业经验。2010年初,他应邀到“海上青焙坊”传授技艺。从此,每个月他要六次横穿大半个上海,赶到培训 地点为孩子们答疑解惑。为了能让孩子们顺利地找到工作,“海上青焙坊”还与上海市曹杨职业技术学校结成合作伙伴,这样,从全国各地来到上海的贫困孩子可以 在学校食宿,还能学习职校开的西式面点师课程和文化课程;在曹杨职校帮助下,孩子们也能报名参加统一的西式面点师考试,拿到国家认可的执业证书和文凭。马 弘睿告诉记者,初创“海上青焙坊”的12位法国人,如今已有9位离开了中国,他希望这份爱心事业能够得到更多社会力量的支持,永远延续下去,让更多的孩子 摆脱贫困,独立谋生。

新华社记者 裴鑫摄

English Translation:

Love & Bread

January 20, 2011, “Xiao Gao Lao shi” (Teacher Gao, in the middle of the photo) is showing the kids how to “press flour.” 19 year-old Jin Kairu from Henan province feels that she is incredibly lucky. 9 months ago, she dropped out of school because her family couldn’t afford to pay for her tuition. Her father was doing odd jobs in a restaurant, struggling to support her brothers and sisters in their education. It was then that a group of French people found her through a local charity (Chi Heng Foundation) and gave her an opportunity to learn French bread. Today, Jin Kairu has started a bakery internship in a five-star hotel in Shanghai (Royal Meridien) for six months already. She told reporters that her supervisor is satisfied with her performance at work and if she can stay in the hotel for full time job, she will be able to afford her brother and sister’s tuition cost. Those who brought Jin Kairu to new hope of life are a group of French people living in Shanghai.

Two years ago, 12 French in Shanghai founded a group called Shanghai Young Bakers (SYB) to support orphans in China to learn French bakery skills. “Western-style pastries and bread are more and more popular in Shanghai. There are a series of various chain stores, but not many of them are authentic French bakery. When we were planning this organization, we target to fill gap in the job market,” said Thomas Meron, project manager of Shanghai Young Bakers, who has lived in Shanghai for 6 years and speaks fluent Chinese. “There is a saying in China, give a man a fish; you feed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you feed him for a lifetime. So in China, there are many children who need help. As they may worry that if they can afford buying bread later, why don’t we teach them to bake bread? That’s the original motivation for us the start the program.” So far, more than 30 orphans from across the country who come from poor families have found work by learning the craft of bread baking in SYB, many of them working as bakers in five-star hotels.”

“What can change the fate of these children is not money, but the skills to help them make a living,” added Thomas. In SYB, trainers are all authentic French bakers who are motivated to help the Chinese orphans, and the training is given for free. Affectionately known by children as Young Teacher Gao, Thomas Kalkhoven is a technical expert in a foreign food company (Lesaffre) in Shanghai, who more than 10 years’ work experience. In early 2010, he was invited to the SYB to teach bakery skills. Since then, he has to cross more than half of Shanghai six times every month to go to the training site to give classes to the students. In order to help children to successfully find work, SYB also established a partnership with Caoyang Vocational School, so that students from all over the country can live in the dormitory of the school. With the help of Caoyang school, the students take a Chinese pastry course which enables them to obtain a certificate recognised throughout the country, facilitating their job search after graduation. Thomas told reporters that now 9 of the12 French have left China, but he hopes that this love of SYB to the orphans in China can be supported by more people from the society, and that over time, more children from underprivileged areas can come out of poverty and live independently.

Pei Xinshe, reporter, from Xinhua News Agency

1月20日,金凯茹(右二)和同学们一起在上课前擦拭设备。
On January 20, Jin Kairu (2nd from right) and the SYB students clean up the equipment before the class starts.

每位学员做的优秀作品,“小高老师”都珍藏在“宝物箱”中。
Xiao Gao Lao Shi (Teacher Gao) treasures every piece of work of students

1月20日,“小高老师”手把手教一名学员进行面包造型。
Xiao Gao Lao Shi teaches the students on how to shape the bread.

1月20日,“海上青焙坊”的老师和部分同学在教室内合影。
Students of SYB with Thomas Meron and Xiao Gao Lao Shi

1月20日,“小高老师”(左一)在评点孩子们烤的第一批面包。
Xiao Gao Lao Shi is commenting on the first run of bakery to the students