新华社 (Xinhua News)
April 23rd, 2011
中国孩子结缘法式面包 (Chinese children and French bread)
新华社上海４月２２日电（吴宇,童薇菁）
最近来华访问的欧盟农业委员达奇安·乔罗什在上海享受到一个特殊礼遇：品尝由一群中国年轻人制作的法式面包。面包的发酵、烤制都很讲究，滋味地道，乔罗什频频点头。
谁能想到，仅仅半年前，这群年轻人还身无长技，身处中国内地的孤儿院或单亲家庭中……两年前，１２位在上海工作的法国人首先发起了这项公益活动——教授孤儿或单亲家庭的孩子制作西式糕点。
“我们想把自己对中国美好的感情落实到一项具体的活动中，大家觉得没有比教授一些需要帮助的孩子一项生活技能更好的事情了。”发起者之一的塞利娜•勒•科托内克说。
在此之前，这些法国人曾进行了长达一年的市场考察。他们发现，西式糕点在中国城市里越来越受欢迎，但风味纯正的并不多，特别是最大众化的法式面包，不仅学校教得少，市场卖得也少。如果年轻人学会制作地道的法式面包，就业前途应该不错。
１８岁的江霞来自湖北黄石的一所孤儿院，是个活泼的女孩，眼睛明亮有神。她至今记得去年９月第一次来到上海、走进培训课堂的情景： “法国老师先给我们讲了面包制作流程，从配料、发酵、切面到造型、烘烤，还要掌握酸碱度、菌种等理论知识，没想到看似普普通通的面包，还有这么多学问。”
科托内克等１２位法国人给自己发起的公益项目起了一个带有中国文化色彩的名字：“海上青焙坊”。学员主要面向１７－２３岁的孤儿或来自单亲家庭的年轻人，学制一年，每期２０人左右。
他们走访了多家在上海的法资企业，寻求资金和师资赞助，同时与中国一些慈善机构合作，在中国内地省区市寻找需要帮助的对象，并接到上海安排免费吃住和培训。
２０岁的宋秀云来自河南一个单亲家庭，母亲还患有重病，生计艰难。她告诉记者，在家乡，女孩子往往读不了很多书，也很难出来工作，“但我想做一个独立的人，至少可以养活自己。学习西式糕点制作技艺，我心中又有了生活的希望”。
在位于上海市区西北部的培训教室，记者见到了正在授课的法国面包师高骞。来自法国里尔的高骞受聘于上海一家法资酵母公司。一年半前得知这个公益项目需要一名会讲中文的面包师，他就来了。
“这些孩子学习相当专注，也很用功。有一次我讲到酸面种，提到ＰＨ值，他们不知道，就反复询问，直到弄懂为止。和他们在一起，我的中
文水平有了新的提高，也很开心。”高骞说。
从２００９年至今，“海上青焙坊”已办了三期培训班，招收了近６０名学员。昔日的１２名发起者虽然都先后离开了上海，但这个公益项目没有中断，中国的一些爱心人加入进来了，美国、爱尔兰的志愿者也来了。
上海市曹阳职业技术学校为“海上青焙坊”的学员提供食宿条件，开设了文化课，组织学员参加统一考试，拿到国家认可的相关执业证书。上海一些星级酒店不仅提供了相关实习岗位，还吸收了不少毕业学员。
去年，共青团上海市委、民政等方面进行“青年影响社会”十大公益项目评选，“海上青焙坊”名列其中。
目前，“海上青焙坊”的项目负责人是来自法国巴黎的马宏睿。他告诉记者，除了专业学习，平时经常有志愿者为孩子们组织文化体育活动，项目方还聘请了退休老师照顾孩子们的生活，进行心理抚慰。
“对于我们来说，目前最大的困难还是可持续的资金支持。这些中国孩子与法式面包的缘分已经建立起来了，我们希望这一缘分能持续下去，更多的孩子们能在其中健康成长。”马宏睿说。（完）
English Translation
Xinhua News, Shanghai, April 22, 2011 (Reported by Wu Yu Tong and Wei Jing)
The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş recently visited China and enjoyed a special treat of French bread made by a group of young Chinese. The bread were well fermented and baked, tasting like authentic French bread and even the Commissioner nodded in approval.
Who would have thought that, just six months ago, this group of young Chinese were without a single skill in life and staying in orphanages or coming from single-parent families… Two years ago, 12 French working personnel in Shanghai decided to start this public service initiative – to teach orphans and children from single-parent families how to make Western pastries.
“We would like to contribute back to China, the place that we all held fond memories to. We felt that the best way to do it would be to teach the needy children here a life skill.” Celine Le Cotonnec, one of the initiators of the project said.
Prior to starting the project, this group of French embarked on a one-year long market research. They found out that Western pastries are gaining popularity in many cities in China, but there were few pastries of authentic taste. The lack was especially significant for authentic French bread, which is very popular in many places. Not only was the making of French bread seldom taught in schools, few French bread were also sold in the markets. Hence if those young adults were able to learn how to make authentic French bread, their employment prospects would be good.
18-year old Jiang Xia, from an orphanage in Huangshi, Hubei, is one of the students under the program currently. She is a lively girl with bright eyes shining with hope and joy, as she recounted her first time arriving in Shanghai in September last year, stepping into the classroom, “The French teacher started with telling us about the bread making process, from the ingredients, fermentation, moulding, baking, and even mastering theories about pH, bacteria and many others. I did not expect that some much knowledge went behind making a simple looking bread like this.”
Celine Le Cotonnec and 11 other French gave their public service project a Chinese name filled with the vibrant local culture: Shanghai Young Bakers (in Chinese “海上青焙坊”). Students taken into this program are mainly between ages 17 to 23, coming from orphanages or single-parented families. Each term lasts for a year, with 20 students taken in per term.
They visited many French-invested companies in Shanghai, seeking for funding and faculty sponsors. At the same time, they partnered with local charity organizations to look for needy children in mainland provinces and autonomous regions in China to bring to Shanghai, and provided free food, lodging and training for them.
20-year old Song Xiuyun from a single-parented family in Henan, another student incorporated into this program, led a difficult life back home, with her mother on sick bed waiting to be served. She told the reporters that back in her hometown, girls were not given much opportunities to study and thus faced a lot of difficulties in securing jobs outside. “But I hope to become independent, and at least able to support myself. Now that I am learning how to make Western pastries, I am once again filled with hope in life.”
Arriving at the training room located in the Northwest region of Shanghai, the reporters met Thomas Kalkhoven, the teacher for the French baking classes. Thomas Kalkhoven from Lille, France was hired to come to Shanghai by a French yeast company [Lesaffre]. Upon knowing that this public service project needed a Chinese-speaking baker, he volunteered his services.
“These children are very focused on learning and very hardworking. There was once when I was teaching about different acid species and the respective pH level, they did not understand but persevered in asking questions till they understood completely. By interacting with them, not only did I enjoy myself, I saw a new hike in my Chinese level too.” Thomas Kalkhoven said.
From 2009 till now, Shanghai Young Bakers has organized three terms of training courses, with nearly 60 students enrolled. Although the 12 founding members had left Shanghai, the project was never halted, with many kind-hearted souls from China, United States, Ireland and many others coming forward to volunteer their service.
The Shanghai Young Bakers project also received assistance from many other organizations, leading to the success of its implementation. Shanghai Caoyang Vocational School provided the students under the program with food and accommodation, and even opened general knowledge classes, organized examinations for them and assisted them in obtaining the appropriate nationally recognized practitioner certificate. Some top hotels in Shanghai not only provided internship opportunities for these students, but also employed many students who graduated from the program.
Last year, Shanghai Young Bakers was also one of the selected as the top ten public service project targeted at youths in the society by the Shanghai Municipal Communist Youth League and relevant governmental departments.
Currently, the project manager of Shanghai Young Bakers is Thomas Meron from Paris, France. He told the reporters that in addition to professional learning, volunteers also organize cultural and sports activities for the children. The project even hires a retired teacher to take care of the lives of the children and provide psychological comfort.
“For us, the biggest problem now is still sustainable financial support. These Chinese children have established affinity for and to French bread, and we hope that such an affinity can be continued whereby more children can benefit from.” Thomas Meron said.