Uganda chefs and cooks starving, cries out Association boss

Chefs and cooks on normal days prepare and test some of the best dishes. One would imagine hunger is not their problem at all.

However, the lockdown following the invasion of Covid19, has left them jobless and with no money to keep at their table.

The culinary association of Uganda which brings together over 200 chefs and cooks in the country and it is part of the East African consortium with over 1,000 members, has written a letter asking government and well wishes to intervene and serve their starving members food.

The Association boss Reagan Kawuki says chefs and cooks are some of the vulnerable groups in Uganda, yet many have already lost their jobs after their employers laid off staff following the Lockdown of the country forced their employers to shut down their places of work.

Kawuki says the Association is concerned that majority of their members are reporting starvation in their homes with nobody to run to. They want government and well wishers to come out and put a smile on their faces.

Chefs and cooks work behind the curtains in the hotel and restaurant sector and skills give the image to the hospitality sector.

Now chefs are asking the Ministry of Tourism and Uganda Hotels Owners Association to come to their help with food hampers to the most needy members who cannot feed their households.

“We put smiles on the faces of clients who visit our places of work, but now we need someone to put a smile on ours too,” says Kawuki Reagan, the association president.

“Our sincere appeal goes to whoever is concerned in helping us during this global lockdown where most of our colleagues have lost their jobs, have not been paid for the last three months and 90% of this people are parents and guardians,” the letter copied to the prime minister, Ministry of health, Uganda Tourism Board, among others states.

“We call upon your great assistance and contribution to help us go through this tragedy that we also make our families smile once again with any help you will provide to us since we also play a very big part in the Uganda tourism sector through our culinary experience.” It reads in part.
Chefs have been home since 20th March 2020 following the presidential directive to close public places including hotels and restaurants.