50 Years of Friendship
When I introduce Shanghai Young Bakers to new volunteers or potential partners, I’m often asked: “So, is your program a French or Chinese one?” I always find this question hard to answer: SYB was started by a team of 12 French volunteers, is supported by a network of social-minded French companies such as Carrefour, Accor or Lesaffre, and aims at teaching French bakery and pastry to underprivileged youth. As I’m from France myself people often deduce that a program managed by a French has to be French!
However it’s not that simple an equation. First of all our program’s mission is to serve underprivileged Chinese youth, and most of our team, including all our teachers, is now Chinese. In addition, SYB is part of Chiheng Foundation, a charity program officially registered in Hong Kong.
Therefore I like to think that we are a hybrid program, and that we contribute, on our own scale, to strengthening the bridge between France and China. The founders of SYB chose French bakery and pastry as the foundation of our vocational training because there was a very strong demand from Chinese customers to enjoy these kind of products, and an important lack of qualified staff in that field for hotels and bakeries in China. Besides, they were aware that there are French companies working in China that were willing to share their resources so that to contribute to the improvement of career prospects for disadvantaged Chinese youth.
2014 is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China. I believe that Shanghai Young Bakers, by uniting individuals and companies sharing a passion for French bakery as well as a common concern for the empowerment of young Chinese, is a beautiful and meaningful embodiment of that friendship. This newsletter is full of proofs that this friendship is well and alive, from the visit to Institut Paul Bocuse to learn about French cuisine to the Young Bakers teaching Chinese bakery to French bakery students! Long live the friendship indeed…
By Floriane Lemoine, SYB program manager
50年的友谊
每当我向新的志愿者或是潜在的合作伙伴介绍海上青焙坊时，他们常常会问我：“你们的项目究竟是法国的还是中国的呢？”我一直都觉得这个问题很难回答：海上青焙坊是由12个法国志愿者发起的，并且由一些具有社会责任意识的法国公司资助，例如家乐福、雅高和乐斯福。它致力于教授贫困地区青少年法式烘焙和西点。由于我本人来自法国，人们都会认为法国人管理就等于这个项目是法国的。
然而，这个等式有时候并不能成立。首先，我们项目的目标是帮助中国的贫困青少年，而且我们团队中的大部分人，包括我们的烘焙老师，都是中国人。除此之外，海上青焙坊也是在香港注册的慈善机构智行基金会的一部分。
因此，我会觉得我们的项目更像是一个混血儿，而且我们尽自己所能来加强中法两国之间的沟通桥梁。海上青焙坊的发起者们选择了法式烘焙和西点作为职业训练的基础，是因为在中国，顾客们对于这类产品的需求量很高，而且全国范围内还缺少有资质的相关人才来为各大酒店和面包房工作。另外，他们也意识到在中国有法国的公司愿意分享他们的资源来帮助这些中国贫困地区青少年提高他们职业生涯的质量。
2014年是中法建交50周年。我相信海上青焙坊，通过团结对法式烘焙有着热情和希望可以帮助中国年轻人的个人和公司，可以成为这份友谊美好而有意义的象征。这一期的新闻简报包括了去博古斯烹饪学院的学习、教授法国职业学校学生学习中式烘焙等等。这些都证明了这份友谊的存在和美好。没错，中法友谊万岁!
林兰, 海上青焙坊项目经理