“This place is quite far out! I’ve already passed the innermost part of Suide Road, crossed over the highway, and entered Jiading!” laughed the taxi driver as he handed over an invoice.
It is already 2:24 in the afternoon; the pale light of the winter sun stretches thinly across the sky like the eyes of a dead fish. In an expanse of wide open space as far as the eye can see stands a row of cement factory buildings. Yet in this space lies the home of the Shanghai Young Bakers (hereinafter referred to as “Young Bakers.”) Some say that this is a dream factory, a place that creates hope and dreams for hopeless and dreamless youth. Here bread is fermented and hope is reawakened.
“They are all children between the ages of 17 and 23 who have lived very, very hard lives. Because of their family situations, many of them can’t attend school, so very few of them are able to work in a factory…” says Emilie, a tall, smiley French girl who serves as the project manager of recruitment and publicity for Shanghai Young Bakers. Since the Young Bakers usually graduate on July 31st with a new class entering on September 1st, the time between is packed with preparations, and Emilie only has ten days in August to complete enrollment.
“Students all come recommended from other charity organizations, such as the Chi Heng Foundation, Plan International, and the Madaifu Foundation. Through the assistance of these organizations, we are able to meet the children who are most in need of our help. Then all we have left to do is find the best matches through interviews.” Emilie tells reporters that she once interviewed a girl without dreams, a girl who didn’t know what her future might hold, but a girl who knew she didn’t want to be a female laborer. “I am still young, I know I still have a lot to do, but when I’m 40, 50 years old, factories won’t want me anymore. French baking, however, that’s something I can do for a lifetime.” Emilie recalls similar sentiments from Wang Li, a former Young Bakers teacher who is now a professional baker with Lesaffre (Far East) Limited. Before this, she was a graduate of Young Bakers’ first class, and before that, she was a female laborer whose dreams and youth were swallowed by the factory assembly line. “Give an orphan some bread, you feed him for the day; Teach him how to bake, you feed him for a lifetime,” Emilie says she heard these words uttered many times amongst the Young Bakers, and she could say the words herself, but it wasn’t until this moment that she finally understood their meaning.
“Before coming here, they didn’t even know what a baguette was. So, we first had to impart a basic knowledge of French baking onto them, then during the interview we would ask whether or not they still had an interest in learning, and we would evaluate how much of the information that had grasped. Moreover, we needed to get a good understanding of whether these students could really cook and if they were willing to endure hardships. Because, at the end of the day, baking is painstaking work.”
This August, Emilie spent 10 days running around 3 provinces and 7 cities. From 50 applicants, she took in 31 students. “This is already our 8th batch!”
“Come, I’ll take you to see our new recruits. Right now they are at the baking center!”
(Text translated by SYB volunteer Rachel Deason. )
“哈，这地方可真够远的，已经是绥德路的最里面了，过了前面那个高架，就到嘉定了！”的哥一边递过发票，一边这样说道。
已经是下午2点24分，冬日的阳光淡得稀薄，仿佛死鱼的眼睛。四下里，是满目的空旷，伫立着一排排冰冷的水泥厂房。然而也就在这儿，坐落着海上青焙坊（以下简称“青焙坊”）。有人说，这是一个梦工场，一个给无望、无梦的年轻人造梦的地方。在这里，面包被发酵，希望也被重新唤醒。
“他们都是生活很难很难的孩子，年龄在17-23之间，很多因为家庭缘故，不能读书，所以很小就在工厂打工……”说话的是Emilie，一个爱笑的高个儿法国女孩儿，也是海上青焙坊的项目主管，负责招生和外宣事宜。由于青焙坊通常是7月31日毕业，9月1日新一届开学，加之中间有诸多的筹备事宜，所以每年，Emilie只有8月间十余天的时间用来招生。
“学生都是其他公益组织推荐过来的，像智行基金会、国际计划、马大夫基金会等都会帮忙把关，让我们见到最需要帮助的孩子。我们要做的就是面试，找到最合适的。”Emilie告诉记者，她曾经面试过一个女孩，她没有梦想，也不知道未来会是怎样，可她说她不想做一个女工。“我现在还年轻，我知道我还能干下去，可当我40岁，50岁，工厂就会不要我，而法式烘焙我可以做一辈子。”类似的话，Emilie记得，王莉，前青焙坊老师，现法国乐斯福公司的烘焙师，也曾说过。在这之前，她是青焙坊的第一届毕业生，再之前，则是一个被工厂的流水线吞噬着梦想和青春的女工。“授人以麦，三餐之需；授人以焙，终身之用”，Emilie说，这句话她在青焙坊听过许多遍，自己也会说，但那一刻，她才真正懂了。
“在我们过去之前，他们甚至连法棍是什么都不知道。所以，我们通常会先对他们讲一些基础的法式烘焙的知识，然后面试的时候，问问他们是否还有意愿学习，看看他们的掌握情况，此外还会了解一下他们是不是会做饭，以及能不能吃苦之类的，毕竟烘焙师是个辛苦的工作。”
今年的8月，Emilie花了10天的时间跑了3省7市，从50多个人中招收了31个学生，“这已经是我们的第8届了！“
“走，我带你去看看我招的学生们，他们正在烘焙中心烤面包呢！”
Interest +Persistence=Change of the Fate
SYB’s baking center is quite a long and narrow room. Outside is the operating room, which covers about 2/3 of the total area. 8 long stainless steel tables are paired together as students’ benches. There is also a row of tables to display finished products. At the door, stands a big glass show window, which will be filled with students’ artistic bread products in 3 hours. Going inside, the area is separated into two rooms: baking room on the right and a smaller tool shred on the left.
Now the oven is heating at 446F. The steam clouds the glass, the milk flavor wafts along the room, and the baguettes are gradually waking.
It so happens that today is the year’s baking class of artistic design.
Emilie introduces that, due to its long storage life, many bakeries are holding showcases for artistic bread to attract customers. However, because of its time-consuming manufacture process, SYB has only one artistic design class each year. On that day, besides lunch hours, students put their efforts to design on fermented dough all day long, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When I first met Xiaojuan, she was bending over a table, coloring for the little mermaid’s brown hair.
“I don’t know the story of the Little Mermaid but I saw a picture of her in Mr. Zhang’s phone. It was so beautiful that I made a cake stencil of her.” The so-called stencil was a cardboard in Little Mermaid’s shape, hand-drawn with rough sketching lines, colorless.
“I don’t remember those colors for her appearance but I know she’s a Westerner. So I filled her hair with the same hair color of Miss Emilie.” Xiaojuan looked up from the table, smiling with her two canine teeth. On her innocent face, I saw tiredness yet satisfaction.
However, Xiaojuan’s little mermaid didn’t make it to the show window.
“Mr. Zhang was not so pleased by the Little Mermaid. So he threw it away. ” Said Xiaojuan, with a moment of lost in her eyes. Quickly, she covered it with a grin showing her lovely canine teeth. “But sure I’ll do better. I have confidence. I like French baking and I’ll be doing it. For myself and for my grandma.”
On Emilie’s recruitment list, there’s a note in the Remarks section besides Xiaojuan’s name: “From rural areas in Gansu, lives alone with her grandmother. Annual income: 2000 Yuan. ”
(Text under the first subtitle is translated by SYB volunteer Rongli. )
兴趣+执着=命运的改变
青焙坊的烘焙中心，是一绺狭长的房间。外面是操作室，约占2/3的面积，8张不锈钢长桌两两相并，是学生的操作台。另有两张桌子横向相接，类似展示台。进门处，还立着一个大玻璃橱窗。3个小时后，这里会放上学生的艺术面包作品。再往里，是横向隔成的两个大小不一的房间，左侧小些的是工具室，右侧是烤箱房。烤炉正热，230℃的高温下，水汽氤氲，法棍在苏醒，奶香味儿在弥漫。
赶巧，那天恰是青焙坊一年一度的艺术面包烘焙课。
Emilie介绍说，因为艺术面包造型好看而且可以保存很久，很多面包房都会把它们挂在橱窗里，用来吸引顾客。但是由于制作费时，所以在青焙坊，一年才开一次。那天，从早上8点到下午5点，除了匆忙的午餐时间外，学生们都在发酵了一天的面团上倒腾着各式的花样。
第一次见到小娟时，她正地伏在操作台上，为她的小美人鱼涂着褐色的头发。
“我没有听过小美人鱼的故事，只是昨天在张帅老师的手机里看到照片，觉得很好看，就做了样板。”小娟说的所谓样板，是一张裁剪成小美人鱼的硬纸板，手绘的，线条很粗糙，没有涂色。
“可我不记得小美人的颜色了，只知道她是外国人，所以我把她的头发涂成和Emilie老师一样的颜色！”小娟从操作台上抬起头，笑了，露出了两颗虎牙，稚嫩的脸上，有疲倦也有满足。
后来，“小美人鱼”没有被摆在橱窗里。
“张帅老师觉得不满意，扔掉了。”有那么一瞬间，小娟的眼神里闪过一抹失落，但很快，嘴角向上一咧，又是那两颗小虎牙，“但是我会做出更好的，嗯，我有信心。因为我喜欢法式烘焙，会一直做下去，为了我自己，也为了奶奶。”
在Emilie的招生表，小娟的名字旁，备注着这样一条信息：甘肃农村，和奶奶相依为命生活，年收入：2000元。
Outstanding returning students + sent to France to study = specialty teachers
“Making artistic bread isn’t easy, but it must be learnt, and our students at Shanghai Young Bakers must learn it well!” says Zhang Shuai, a teacher at Shanghai Young Bakers responsible for teaching how to make bread.
“Teacher Zhang Shuai is strict, but he is a great teacher, and is really good for the students. He is the most outstanding graduate from the EFBPA French Professional Baking College. Before returning to the country in June, teacher Jin Huizi was also an EFBPA graduate, teaching Western-style pastry.” Emilie smiled and added, “those two, they have another identity, that’s just graduates from Shanghai Young Bakers!”
At Shanghai Young Bakers, every three years, two students are chosen from the year’s graduating students and recommended to study at EFBPA Professional Baking College in France, undertaking specialist studies for a period of one year. The conditions are that after returning home, the young bakers are to teach for at Shanghai Young Bakers for three years. Emilie told reporters that this is because of the need for professional teachers. Shanghai Young Bakers had always maintained that only with this sense of professionalism could the true taste of France be taught. “But teachers from abroad are too expensive, and volunteer work is not stable, so we choose to develop ourselves, not only to save money but also for the benefit of the graduates. It’s a win-win situation.” In 2011, the first three returned home to teach, and Zhang Shaui and Jin Huizi then successfully retired from their roles. But there are people who choose to stay on, and Zhang Zhenghai is one of them.
“By no means is it because of a question of ability, teacher Zhang Zhenghai is outstanding!” Emilie told reporters on November 13 at the Louis Lesaffre Cup Finals in the Asia Pacific region, Zhang Zhenghai and his team represented China, and won first prize in their overall score, and will soon attend the World Cup Finals and Masters in France. “That competition is recognized worldwide, and sets the industry benchmark for world bakery competitions!”
优秀往届生+赴法进修=自有专业师资
“做艺术面包虽然麻烦，但是这个必须学，而我们青焙坊的学生还必须得学好了！”说话的就是张帅，青焙坊的老师，负责教授面包制作。
“哈哈，张帅老师很严肃哈？但他是个很好的老师，是真的为学生好。也很厉害哦，是法国专业烘焙学院EFBPA毕业的高材生，6月份才回的国，金会子老师也是哦，教西点课的。”Emilie笑了笑，补充道，“他们俩啊，还有另外一个身份，那就是青焙坊的毕业生！”
这是青焙坊的惯例，每三年从往应届的毕业生中选拔出两位，保送法国专业烘焙学院EFBPA，进行为期一年的专业进修。条件是，学成归国后，在青焙坊连续任教3年。Emilie告诉记者，这是出于获得专业师资的需要。青焙坊始终坚持，只有专业，才能教授出真正的法国味道。“但是外聘太贵，义工又不稳定，所以后来我们选择自我培养，既节省开销，又可以作为毕业生的福利，算双赢吧。”
第一批有3位，是在2011年归国开始执教的，张帅和金会子接上棒后，本可以功成身退了，可依旧有人选择继续留任，张政海就是其中之一。
“才不是因为能力问题呢，张政海老师可厉害了！”Emilie告诉记者，11月13日，在“路易·乐斯福杯”亚太区总决赛，张政海老师和他的团队，代表中国队，以总分第一的成绩夺魁，不日将赴法参加烘焙世界杯总决赛和大师赛。“要知道那可是一个获得全球公认的、设定了行业基准的世界性烘焙比赛啊！”
The concept of European training + Localization Supplement = Best Seller
In addition to professional French teachers, in order to ensure the original French flavour, Shanghai Young Bakers is also in strict accordance with traditional French training, and students will be divided into two A and B groups, with one group practicing and the other group in class, alternating every week. “That way, when students are practicing, the difficulties they come across can be taken back into the classroom and solved, and what has been learnt in the classroom can be consolidated in the practice.” Emilie told reporters, this year Shanghai Young Bakers has already launched internships with Kempinski, Xintiandi Langham, Hilton, and other five star hotels. “Every Tuesday and Wednesday, we arrange French style bread making and French style pastry classes at the baking center, and the rotation system is also implemented for this. As we only recruit 30 students each year, by dividing classes in this way, the actual class sizes only have 15 students or so, and this strengthens the continuous small class teaching so as to better ensure the quality of teaching.”
Every week, students only have three days of classes together in Shanghai Caoyang Vocational School; every week on Monday, Thursday and Friday.
Monday, Asian pastry classes
Thursday, English classes
Friday, Life Skills class
Emilie says that the reason for this arrangement is to adapt to the present situation of the Chinese market, to enable students to be qualified by means of examinations and issued Shanghai Labor Bureau Western-style pastry professional skills certificate. “This is China’s officially recognized practicing certificate and diploma, although in the Shanghai baking circles, everyone knows we Shanghai Young Bakers graduates are the best. Every year graduates worry become anxious about out choice of work because early on before graduation we will get two or three offers from places like the Marriott, Sofitel, and other 5 star hotels. But graduates may also leave Shanghai, and the Labor Bureau’s certificate brings them a lot of convenience when looking for a job.
Data is as of July 31 2014, Shanghai Young Bakers already have 154 graduates;
Employment situation is, the majority enter five star hotels, bakeries, and of bakery related business.
(Text under the second and third subtitles is translated by SYB volunteer Rosie Martin. )
欧式培训理念+本土化补充=就业抢手货
除了专业的师资，为了保证原味的法式味道，青焙坊的授课也严格按照传统法式培训方式展开，即将学生分为AB两组，一组实习，一组上课，两周轮换一次。
“那样实习的时候，遇到的困难就可以带回课堂解决，而课堂学到的也将在实习时加强巩固。”Emilie告诉记者，今年，青焙坊已经和凯宾斯基、新天地朗廷、希尔顿等十家五星级酒店展开实习合作，“每星期的周二、周三，我们会在烘焙中心安排法式面包制作和法式西点课程，也是实行轮作制的。由于我们每届只招收30人，通过分组上课的方式，实际上课的学生也就只有15人左右，这样也就更加强化了小课堂的连续教学，从而可以更好地保证授课的质量。”
每周，学生们只有在三天时间，聚在上海曹杨职业技术学校一起上课，那就是每周的周一、周四和周五。
周一，亚洲面点课；
周四，英语课；
周五：生活技能课；
Emilie说，之所以这样安排，是为了适应中国的市场现状，使学生有资格通过考试，获得由上海劳动局颁发的西式面点师专业技能证书。“这是中国官方认可的执业证书和文凭，虽然在上海的烘焙圈，大家都知道我们青焙坊的毕业生很棒，每年，我们毕业生都会在工作的选择上犯愁，因为早在毕业前，他们就会拿到两三个offer， 基本都是来自像万豪、索菲特之类五星级酒店的。但是他们也许会离开上海，而劳动局的证书将会给他们找工作带来很大的方便。”
数据是，截至2014年7月31日，青焙坊已经有154名毕业生；
就业情况是，多数入职五星级酒店、面包房及相关烘焙企业。
A charity seeking self-sustainability ; Adhering to the very beginning mind in spite of difficulties.
“Surely it seems a bit strange that the classes in Shanghai Caoyang Vocational School are arranged separately, but that’s because we also have ‘baker’s basket’ service. Every week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, baskets filled with students’ product will be delivered directly to the subscribers. Occasionally there will be over 20 pieces of breads in the basket when the students have a lot of them made, and the breads are of various flavor! ”
Outside the baking center, a second-hand motorcycle stood against the white wall in the corridor. “That belongs to Zhang Shuai. He teaches French bakery to the class on Tuesdays, and for the rest days of the week his role will transfer to a ‘knight’, delivering the bread baskets with this motorcycle.” Emilie laughed bitterly while saying this. Shanghai Young Bakers has always been considering to expand its bread-delivering service, so that more people can taste on the bread of French-style. But due to far distance from the baking center to urban area, they lacked the conditions to assign special delivery cars and staffs.
In addition to the “baker’s basket”, the students will also sell the French breads and pastries at weekend markets, with help from volunteers.
“All the ingredients are imported: flour provided by Grands Moulins de Paris, yeast from Lesaffre. The deck oven is sponsored by Kolb. Most importantly, all the breads are totally made in the traditional French-way, and that’s why our products are so well-received in the baker’s basket service and the markets. ”
Apart from selling breads, Shanghai Young Bakers is also offering French Baking classes both for new-starters and professionals, and social team building activities for companies and institutions.
“From early last year, or let us say, as early as we started to train our own teachers, the transformation of SYB to a social enterprise has already started. We hope to lead the program to a more stable and sustainable path through our efforts. ” Emilie gave us a number regarding SYB’s social enterprise profit, showing that 20% of the annual cost has been covered. And this year, according to Emilie, the number may go up to 4 to 5 percent.
“However,” Emilie stopped, seeming a bit constrained, and the bright smile faded from her face. Without the support of one of SYB’s major sponsors, Carrefour , there’s a fund shortage of 30% at present, even though Accor Foundation, Lesaffre and Henkel is helping to cover 50% percent of its cost, and the social enterprise is making profit.
Emilie represents the third generation of SYB’s French leading group, as the predecessors used to have problems in extending visa. Despite the staff changed, those who are involved in the program remain unchanged. She told us that the salary for these two years in SYB is no doubt incomparable to that when she was a officer in French Consulate in Shanghai, but her life is much more meaningful now. “It’s just like how they felt deep inside their heart in February 2009, when the 12 French young people decided to set up Shanghai Young Bakers. ” Emilie said. What SYB do is
To lift the Chinese youth out of poverty, because “They are like the sun rising from the sea. They deserve a better life.”
And through these young people, the real taste of French bakery can be introduced to more people in China;
It not only relieves nostalgia, but gives back to the society, which is the French volunteer’s second hometown…
公益自造血 困难重重 初心不忘
“很奇怪是么，我们会把在曹杨职校的课程安排分得那么开吧？那是因为我们有‘面包篮子’项目啊！每周三、四、五，我们都会把乘着学生作品的‘面包篮子’送到预约顾客手里，多的时候，一个面包篮子里会有20多个面包，不同风味的哦。”
在烘焙中心外的走道里，靠着白色的墙，停着一辆半新的摩托车。“那是张帅老师的，他的面包制作课安排在星期二，在之后几天，他就会骑着这辆摩托车，成为我们递送‘面包篮子’的‘骑士’。”说着，Emilie笑了，但有些苦涩，虽然青焙坊也想过扩大“面包篮子”递送业务，让更多的人吃到真正法式面包，但由于烘焙中心远离市区，而他们却始终没有足够的条件，来配备起专门的送货车辆和递送人员。
除了流动的“面包篮子”，在每周末的集市上，学生们还都会在志愿者的帮助下，摆摊售卖课堂上制作的各式法式面包和甜点。
“我们所有面包的原料都是进口的：面粉是巴黎大磨坊的，发酵剂来自乐斯福，烤箱设备来自高比，包括制作都是纯正法国手艺，所以无论是面包篮子，还是在集市上，都很受欢迎的。”
除了面包售卖，青焙坊还专门开办了分别针对初级和专业级的法式烘焙培训课程，并对外承接公司拓展活动等。
“其实去年开始，或者说更早，从培养自己的老师开始，我们就已经在向一个社会企业转型了，我们希望通过自己的努力，让青焙坊走上一条更加稳定而持续的发展道路。”Emilie告诉记者这样一个数字，2014年，青焙坊的社会企业盈利已经覆盖了全年开销的20%，而今年，Emilie说，这个数字有可能上浮4-5个百分点。
“但是……”Emilie顿了顿，灿烂的笑容一下子收敛了，显得突然而局促。由于大金主家乐福基金的抽身，虽然社会企业在盈利，虽然雅高基金会、乐斯福、德国汉高作为青焙坊的资金赞助商，覆盖了50%的资金需求，可目前仍有30%的资金缺口。
由于签证期限的缘故，青焙坊到Emilie这边，已经是第三代法国血统了。纵人员更迭，然初心不变。Emilie说，在青焙坊的两年，虽然薪资远不比在上海法国领事馆做面签官时，但生活更充实且更有意义。就像2009年2月的某天，当那12个法国青年决定创办起海上青焙坊时，心里想的那样，Emilie说，青焙坊所做的是
为了切实帮助中国的贫困青年，因为他们“就好像海上初生的太阳，值得更好的生活”；
也为了通过这些年轻人，让更多的中国人尝到真正的法国面包香……
既解了思乡情，也回馈了中国，这个第二故乡的恩……