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Anjana Chandramouly

A Rotary Club initiative in Chennai equips underprivileged youth with baking skills, which are in great demand in places like Dubai.

Daily bread: The Winners project at Chennai Culinary Institute. - BIJOY GHOSH

Mohammed Ali was working in Dubai as a bakery cleaner for more than five years. His employer suggested that he undergo training in bakery and confectionery making, and promised him a better-paying job if he did so. Ali returned to India and, in a lucky turn of events, spotted an advertisement for a bakery and confectionery-making training programme run by the Rotary Club of Madras East in association with Mahadevan, who runs the bakery chain Hot Breads. Now Ali is all set to take up his new job with the Dubai bakery. "There is a great demand for bakers in Dubai, where I can earn about Rs 10,000 a month as a labourer, and Rs 25,000 as a chef," says Ali.

The Winners Bakery Project is part of the Rotary Club's community initiatives, says its chairman, S.S. Rajsekar. Mahadevan imported the latest machinery worth Rs 15 lakh from France for the project, which operates from the Chennai Culinary Institute premises. "The club invested in human and monetary resources, and got the building that houses the institute and the sales outlet at a total cost of Rs 10 lakh," says Rajsekar. Teaming up with them for the project was Chandri Bhat, principal of the institute.

The project was inaugurated in August 2005 with 22 students. The first batch passed out in six months, and "all of them have been placed at different locations in India," says Rajsekar. The second batch of 17 students will complete its training soon, with the third batch already in place.

Soon after the project got under way, a bakery outlet called Winners Bakery and Confectionery was started. This outlet is important both for the training programme and for its funding, says Chandri.

Free training

The initiative supports underprivileged youth in the 18-25 age group. "We are targeting those who were unable to pursue their academics due to financial conditions or lack of interest." Chandri says there is a great demand for such skilled workers abroad. Although the course is offered free of cost, there have not been many takers because not many people are aware of it. "We are not loaded with demands right now," says Chandri .

Only those who have passed Class X are eligible to join the course ; "without that they can't get their visas for overseas opportunities, and have to work in India only," she explains. Participants are required to work at least eight hours every day during the training period.

"They work in an industry-like atmosphere. The emphasis is on product-related training and not on theory. We concentrate more on teaching students about the ingredients used for each product; why we use them; how to source, store and use them; reasons for various techniques and so on," says Chandri.

During the first two months, students learn all about the ingredients and on making support products such as fillings for buns, sauces for pizzas and so on. In the next two months, they learn to bake cakes, cookies and other confectionery products.

During the last two months, they work on bakery products. "If I spot any talent for cake decoration, which is rare, I give a month's training in that skill, besides the regular training." She also ensures that students are trained properly before they complete the course.

Many of the participants "are not aware of high-end bakery products", says Chandri. "So they are initially apprehensive when we introduce them to croissants, doughnuts, etc."

As Suja, 27, explains, "When I joined, I did not know that there was more to bakery products than breads, buns and cakes," she says. "But now I can confidently make confectionery products, cakes, and also cake designing and icing." Ask her if she is willing to work, and she replies: "Anywhere in the world."

More Stories on : Entrepreneurship | Social Welfare | Food & Dairy Products

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