Shanghai Young Bakers cooperates with many charity programs around China, among which is Plan International. It was through Plan International that Wang, Wu and Han got to know SYB and became young bakers.
Asked why he chose to study at Shanghai Young Bakers, Han, 19, says, “I felt at a loss before I knew SYB. I worked in a factory and attended vocational school but I don’t think my life was on the right track. Shanghai Young Bakers offered me the opportunity to learn practical skills and this is what I needed most at that time.”
Han’s favorite memory is when all the students and teachers wentice skating together. Because he had never tried that activity before, Han fell down many times when he managed to skate. “But Feng Jie encouraged me a lot. In the end, I succeeded in skiing without the help of others.” Feng Jie is actually Cécile , the administrative manager of SYB that the students call Feng Jie as a nick name. For Han, learning bakery is just like learning ice skating: you need a lot of practice, and there will be many setbacks, however as long as you persevere you will experience a great sense of achievement.
Han likes SYB program not only because of its baking classes, but also because of the practical courses that cover different aspects of life. For example, Han finds the class on financial skills very engaging. He learned about the right way to save money during the class and the volunteers who taught the class were also very helpful and caring. Now Han has a clear plan for his future: He hopes that he can work in Shanghai for two or three years first and then keep working in the bakery industry at his hometown.
Also coming from Plan International is Wang, 24. When she got to know Shanghai Young Bakers she had just come back from working in a factory in the city. In her opinion, the best part of SYB lies in the balance between work and leisure time. In addition to the time spent in the class, SYB also organizes lots of after-class activities. She also shares an interesting fact with us. Hardly any student liked to eat French bread at the beginning: they all preferred the soft sponginess of Chinese bread. However, after some time, almost everyone here fell in love with French bread, especially baguette, because of its good taste and fine ingredients. “I haven’t planned to go back to Shaanxi so far. I want to stay in Shanghai because it is a bustling city” said Wang when asked about her plans for the future.
Wu, 18, says if it was not for SYB, he would probably have found a job in a Chinese restaurant. The most unforgettable experience for him was when he helped his teachers to sell the bread done by the students at the SEE Market. After an entire morning, hardly anything had been sold, which made him very disappointed. However, to his surprise, the number of consumers increased in the afternoon and the products were all sold out eventually. This experience made him feel a great sense of accomplishment. “I understood that we don’t need to worry at all.We do authentic products using imported ingredients, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be popular among customers!” This trip to SEE market also let him know that, to attract consumers, not only do they need to bake fine products, they also ought to learn to promote the program.
For Wu, the strength of SYB lies in its combination of theory and practice. He is currently interning at Royal Meridien Hotel. “The chefs there are very friendly and responsible.”
In terms of his future plan, Wu said, “I don’t want to set a big goal for myself because I am afraid of being disappointed. I hope I can improve my ability step by step. Being happy and healthy every day is my biggest dream.”
Wang, Wu and Han are all eager to express their gratefulness to the staffs of both Plan International and Shanghai Young Bakers. If it wasn’t for Plan International, they wouldn’t have been able to know about Shanghai Young Bakers; If it wasn’t for Shanghai Young Bakers, they wouldn’t realize their bakery dreams.
By Scarlett, Communication Coordinator
海上青焙坊有目前与许多慈善机构有伙伴关系，国际计划就是其中之一。来自陕西的小王、小吴和小韩就是通过国际计划了解到了海上青焙坊，并从原来对烘焙一无所知逐渐成长为年轻的烘焙师。
当被问道为什么会选择来海上青焙坊时，19岁的小韩说：“我在知道海上青焙坊这个项目之前对未来感到很迷茫，我以前打过工、上过技校但是生活却一直没有走上正轨，海上青焙坊可以教会我一门技能，这正是我当时所需要的。”
小韩最喜欢的经历是那次和同学老师们一起去溜冰，他之前从来没有接触过这项运动，在一开始的时候摔了很多跤，“但是凤姐一直来鼓励我帮助我，到了最后我已经可以顺利地溜冰了。”凤姐是海上青焙坊执行主管高熙凤女士，海上青焙坊的学员们都亲切地称她为“凤姐”。对于小韩来说，他认为学习烘焙和溜冰很像，需要多次操练，也曾经遇到过挫折，但是只要坚持就一定可以取得成就。
小韩说他喜欢海上青焙坊的原因不光是因为它的烘焙课程，他认为海上青焙坊有很多实用课程涉及到生活的方方面面。比如他就觉得理财课十分有趣，在课堂上他学会了合理的储蓄方式，教课的那些志愿者也非常友善。小韩目前对未来已经有了一个比较明确的计划，他希望可以先在上海工作两三年，再回家乡继续在烘焙业发展。
同样来自国际计划的也有小王，小王今年24岁，来海上青焙坊之前，她刚刚从城里面打工回来。她认为海上青焙坊的吸引人之处在于它的劳逸结合。除了上课的时间海上青焙坊也会组织很多课外活动增进同学之间的友谊。她也和我们分享了一个有趣的事实，那就是刚刚来到海上青焙坊时大家都不太喜欢法式面包，尤其是长棍，因为它们太硬了。大家比较偏爱的还是比较松软的中式面包，可是在来到学习了几个月后，所有人都爱上了法式长棍，觉得长棍口感好，原料佳。“我目前还没有回家乡的打算，我想留在上海，这是一座充满朝气的城市”小王谈起她的未来计划时说道。
小吴今年18岁，他说如果不是海上青焙坊，他也许会去中餐行业发展。小吴说在海上青焙坊最难忘的经历是协助老师去市场上售卖面包。当天他们去的是玫瑰坊市场，可是一个上午下来销量却不是很好，这让小吴觉得十分灰心。而让他没有想到的是，到了下午顾客越来越多，产品也就这样不知不觉卖完了，这让他顿时很有成就感。“我后来明白了，其实根本不需要担心，我们的东西原料都是进口的，做法也很正宗。好东西不拍卖不掉！”这次经历也让他明白了，要让别人知道自己的产品，光光学做好吃的面包是不够的，“还要学会向别人介绍我们的项目，推广也是很重要的一课！”
小吴觉得理论和实践相结合是海上青焙坊课程中的亮点，他目前正在世贸皇家酒店实习，“那里的师傅十分友好尽责。”
当被问起对未来的目标，小吴说道：”我不想给自己定太大的目标，因为我有点害怕达不到目标会失望。我希望可以一步一步走，每天过得开心，健康就是最好的愿望了”
小王、小吴和小韩都很想和国际计划和海上青焙坊的工作人员说一声谢谢，没有国际计划，他们不会了解到海上青焙坊；没有海上青焙坊，他们也不会拥有现在的烘焙梦。
王凊怡，对外联络