Struggling Moroccan youth find hope in cooking school
Posted July 07, 2017 7:00 am
MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) - A retired French chef is working to solve Morocco's youth unemployment crisis one clove of garlic and ripe tomato at a time.
By giving young Moroccan's a taste of mincing garlic, stuffing tomatoes and taking notes in a classroom, a nonprofit culinary program called Agape is trying to expand their options.
Cooking teacher Abdelatif Boutad instructs his students how to retain nutrients while cooking and to expand on their repertoires of couscous, tajines and other Moroccan dishes.
Wafaa Kourimi, a 25-year-old from a rural town who never went to high school, is thriving at the cooking school.
She says: "It's teaching me to believe in myself, and work with a team."
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, trainee chefs receive cooking instructions at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, chocolate tarts ready to be served are seen at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, Trainee chefs receive French classes at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, a trainee chefs revises French vocabulary during a class at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, a trainee chef presents food at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, Hasna Bourray, a former student at Agape informal cooking school, grinds pepper while cooking a dish at Le Petit Cornichon, an upscale new restaurant in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, a whiteboard displaying recipes and cooking schedules hangs underneath a photo of King Mohamed VI of Morocco, at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, Robert Labat, a former chef and founder of Agape informal cooking school, poses for a photo in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, a trainee chef receives cooking instructions at Agape association, an informal cooking school aiming to support unemployed and disadvantaged Moroccans, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
In this Wednesday, June 28, 2017 photo, Aissam Ait Ouakrim, a chef at the upscale Suleiman Palace hotel and restaurant poses for a photo, in Marrakech, Morocco. The goal of the non-profit program, called Agape, is to train students for the work force, and its graduates are already finding solid work in Moroccan restaurants. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
The Associated Press
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