Five Palma cooks train in Brazil to become chefs and culinary teachers

26 August, 2023

The “Pamoja Tunaweza” initiative, which in the African Suaíli language means “Together We Can”, has launched a new project, the Palma Gastronomy School. This social initiative, developed by the Mozambique LNG project, operated by TotalEnergies, has just sent five mozambican culinary professionals to Rio de Janeiro to participate in a training course for chefs-teachers in international techniques. They will work at the future Palma Culinary School, in Cabo Delgado.

During the four months training program, led by renowned French chefs based in Rio de Janeiro, Roland Villard and David Mansaud, the cooks will undergo an intense schedule, which includes everything from local experiences to winning international certificates by Le Cordon Bleu and training certified by Da.Ro. Classes prepared exclusively for this group include cooking and confectionery techniques adapted to Cabo Delgado products and food culture, basic nutrition, cost management, people management, posture and ethics and among others.

The school which is currently under construction is expected to open at the end of 2023 in Palma, Cabo Delgado. It will offer a “Professional Cook” course in the “Gastronomy and Table Art” segment for residents of the region. Located in the north of Mozambique, Cabo Delgado is a province with great tourism potential and this project is another contribution towards increasing employability in the region.

The project is divided into stages, with the first four months of classes in Brazil (to train the Mozambican teachers), followed by two more years of follow-up and training in Mozambique, with the aim of exchanging experiences between the three cultures: Mozambique, Brazil, and France.

“Pamoja Tunaweza” meaning “Together We Can” in Suaíli language is the socio-economic development initiative of the Mozambique LNG project, operated by TotalEnergies. “Pamoja Tunaweza” is committed to supporting local communities, promoting socio economic development and income generation to improve the lives of people in Cabo Delgado province, with a focus on Palma and Mocímboa da Praia.

It is a convergence forum that aims to promote open and transparent communication, respond to expectations, make decisions, and monitor progress that respond to the needs identified by local communities. This community-led initiative is composed of diverse actors, including community members and leaders, the MozambiqueLNG project and local authorities.

As of mid 2023, Pamoja Tunaweza gathers around 59 socio-economic projects, representing a global budget of 15.732,00 MM USD.