Fatuma Abdalah was born in 1994 in Tanzania. She is a student at Green Hills Academy (GHA) in Senior Six and the head of the school’s Cooking Club. She attributes her success and cooking talent to her mother, Faridah Salum. “My mother taught me how to cook and that is not all. She has inspired me in different aspects of life. I thank my mummy so much for being a role model to us her children.
Fatuma Abdalah was born in 1994 in Tanzania. She is a student at Green Hills Academy (GHA) in Senior Six and the head of the school’s Cooking Club. She attributes her success and cooking talent to her mother, Faridah Salum.
"My mother taught me how to cook and that is not all. She has inspired me in different aspects of life. I thank my mummy so much for being a role model to us her children.
"If it was not for my mother, I don’t think I would have been able to head the school’s Cooking Club because I am there on merit,” Fatuma said.
Being an international school, several people have different expectations and perceptions about the students there.
Fatuma says, "The general picture out there is that we can’t do any domestic work and I am not so surprised by this because many students come and learn most things from school.”
When the Cooking Club started last year, Fatuma says, several students become members and participated for fun. However, with time, they started enjoying the values and connection that developed among the club members.
"The club hosts every student who is willing to join, learn and introduce anything that adds value to the club,” the young chef says.
Fatuma believes that also male students should be part of the Cooking Club.
"Our brothers should join the club because this is their best time to learn how to cook—something they never thought they can do,” she emphasized.
The club majors in making biscuits, cookies, cakes, bread and ice cream and many other light edibles. They hope to improve and broaden their menu as well.
The club members occasionally sell the food and snacks they cook during various school occasions and as a way of fundraising for the needy. The money collected is donated to different orphanages around Rwanda.