Food Preservation and Preparation

Having a modern kitchen will allow us to reach out to the community in a number of ways:

1.  Exhibit a variety of techniques in food preparation and preservation

2.  Educate the community in these techniques:

  • canning
  • drying
  • baking
  • culinary skills
  • economical & nutritious cuisine

3.  Enable members of the community to implement skills at home

  • train in making simple household technologies & alternative energy cooking devices

* canning equipment
* food dryer
* charcoal oven
* barrel heating stove
* solar cooker
* mud brick stoves (reduces noxious smoke)

  • supply resources to facilitate implementation

4.  Employ community members for service in the kitchen & cafeteria

  • cooks
  • serve staff
  • dishwashers
  • management

The Center’s kitchen & dining hall will also allow us to be a part of the community as well as generate income for the Center:

1.  Serving meals by reservation

2.  Hosting & catering community events

A valuable connection CTLI has established is with the well-known Nairobi college majoring in hospitality services – Kenya Utalii College.  This connection will serve as:

1.  Hospitality consultancy resource

2.  Source for training

  • chefs
  • management
  • housekeeping
  • chefs

Potential Outcomes:

1.  For those trained at the facility

  • gained skills in food preservation

* to prevent food shortage
* as income generation

  • gained skills in food preparation

* increase nutrition level
* offer more variety to the limited Kenyan menu

  • gained skills in creating simple household food preparation & preservation equipment
  • gained skills for income generation

* selling dried, canned and baked goods
* catering
* employment in food services
* training others in skills learned

2.  For the Center

  • Becoming a community resource as well as a community business
  • Increasing community involvement = increasing community patronage
  • On-going connection with Utalii

* will provide a source for quality trainers
* will provide resource pool for experienced chefs to run the Center’s kitchen
* will offer short-term training for our hospitality staff