William Oringo has gone from being born in a remote village in Turkana to living in the bustling neighborhood of Arturo Soria and from cooking ugali and sukuma wiki -the typical dishes of Kenya- to learning to cook
vichyssoise with cresson chantilly.
The life of this 25-year-old has taken a 180-degree turn thanks to the fact that the Cantabria Labs company has awarded him a scholarship to study a degree in Gastronomy at Le Cordon Bleu, one of the
most prestigious
cooking schools in the world.
William is in his first year
at the Francisco de Vitoria University
, where he learns culinary arts, food sciences, business management and also the humanities.
This boy
has been learning Spanish since he was three years old
, thanks to the help of the missionary Antonio Aguirre.
Therefore, the language is not being a great difficulty, although he admits that, sometimes, he gets lost in the classes.
“I don't understand everything from the teacher, but
my classmates explain it to me
later more slowly.
They are friendly and funny », he affirms convinced.
Arantxa de Miguel is one of his chef instructors and maintains that what is most difficult for students is to understand that
a lot of rigor and discipline is needed in the kitchen
.
«This is not a TV contest.
Things are not learned in six weeks
, but it takes much longer.
It is a long-distance career and a profession that requires a lot of effort and dedication”, explains De Miguel in one of the classrooms on the university campus, located in Pozuelo de Alarcón.
big culture shift
This chef is in charge of teaching William how to use a knife, one of the most important utensils in the kitchen.
"That's issue number 1: accuracy.
The knife and the arm must be one
.
The knife for a cook is like the piano for a pianist », she asserts.
In the opinion of his teacher, William has acclimatized very well to the Spanish kitchen, although
he still has to adapt to European rhythms
, faster and harder than those of his country: «Coming from Kenya to Spain supposes an important cultural change.
He has to leave his gastronomy behind to adapt to a new culinary world », she insists.
Before starting to prepare sophisticated dishes, the first thing the students are taught
is to organize themselves well in the kitchen
and maintain hygiene standards, something that still costs William, who is used to leaving everything to clean up at the end.
He is one of 48 students studying this degree, whose popularity has been increasing
thanks to contests such as MasterChef
.
The first year only 14 students enrolled and now they are more than triple.
But the program has also brought certain negative approaches: competitiveness.
«
The reality show
that you see on the screens does not exist in a professional kitchen.
There is tension, but it is a pressure to do things well, not to step on your teammates.
The world of cooking does not understand quick competitions or so much competition, "delegates De Miguel.
William studied at the San José de Turkana school and, from there, he made the leap to Nairobi, where he was able to move to study thanks to the Cantabria Labs scholarship program. There, in the capital of Kenya, he lived with the Italian missionary Patrizia Aniballi, who taught him how to
cook paella, homemade pizza
or rice croquettes.
William (second from left), in his village in Turkana.
Those first steps made the kitchen bug start to bite him.
After studying
hospitality management
in his country, he had the opportunity to train at Le Cordon Bleu in Madrid.
“I met William when he was barely up to my waist.
He could have chosen to be in school just as a means of eating each day.
However, with his attitude, he fought for his dreams.
We are very proud of what he has achieved
.
Today William is an example for many children, since when they look at him they see in themselves the possibility of an exciting future," says Juan Matji, president of the pharmaceutical company Cantabria Labs, who has been supporting the Emalaikat Foundation for 25 years in its solidarity projects in Kenya.
William has words of thanks
for the missionaries of the San Pablo Apóstol community
, who were the ones who paid for his studies and those of his sisters.
His father has 12 children - four with William's mother and another eight with another woman - and he did not have enough money to support them.
He knows that his dream was very difficult, but he has achieved it.
He now resides with a Spanish family, who have welcomed him in Arturo Soria and, in a short time, he has been adapting to the customs of the country.
He already knows what it's like to
go on a spree at the trendy nightclub
, the Panda Club.
But he wants to keep dreaming.
That is why, when he finishes his four years of studies at the University, he plans to return to his country
to set up a restaurant in Diani
, one of the most spectacular beaches in Kenya.
Conforms to The Trust Project criteria
Know more
See links of interest
Last News
What
Work calendar 2022
Work calendar Madrid 2022
Home THE WORLD today
Elche - Alaves
Majorca - Cadiz
Celta de Vigo - Rayo Vallecano
Live: Osasuna - Seville