Profile: Shanghai Young Bakers empower Chinese youth through French bakery
In Shanghai, China, the Shanghai Young Bakers (SYB) charity program uses bakery to empower those who had a hard time feeding their family.
Founded in 2008, the NGO provides a one year free training in French bakery and pastry to underprivileged Chinese youth aged 17 to 23, enabling them to find qualified jobs and lead independent lives after graduation. During the one-year training, SYB students follow classes in traditional Western bakery, life skills and English, combined with a practical internship at the bakery or pastry department of luxury hotels.
Being a baker is a beautiful job: using simple but noble materials, this craftsman creates healthy products that are the basis of the daily diet worldwide.
This innovative program was created by a team of 12 French volunteers who had been living in China for a few years and wanted to give back to this country by helping marginalized Chinese youth. Inspired by a social bakery in Vietnam, they discovered that the bakery market was booming in China as well, due to the rapid growth of bakeries and 4/5 star hotels.
SYB was started with the help of the Carrefour Foundation, who gave the initial grant to launch the program. Many French food companies in Shanghai have since come together to lend a professional hand to this innovative program. SYB now gathers a wide network of bakery professionals that support the charity in different ways: yeast leader Lesaffre, for instance, has been involved since the program’s inception. Lesaffre baking experts taught the first three batches of students, and the company has kept supporting the program financially ever since as well as by sharing its expertise in bakery. The high quality of the training is also ensured by the use of premium ingredients provided by sponsors: flour from Grands Moulins de Paris, dairy products by Elle&Vire, Corman and Milkana, Valrhona chocolate distributed by Sinodis; and the use of high-quality equipment such as Kolb ovens.
Bakers in the making
Throughout one year, the students are split into two groups that alternate two weeks of classes and two weeks of internships every month. French bakery and pastry classes take place at the SYB professional baking center, where they are taught recipes such as croissant, brioche, éclair, mille-feuilles, and of course baguette. The young bakers can apply and develop what they have learned in classes during their internships with one of SYB 15 partner hotels, such as the Sofitel or JW Marriott.
See more pictures here! Shanghai Young Bakers
Six years after opening its doors, Shanghai Young Bakers has successfully trained over 120 young bakers who had been recommended by partner NGOs working with disadvantaged youth such as orphans, homeless, or children of convicts. After individual interviews with the candidates, the program selects every year up to 32 young Chinese who would have the potential to accomplish great things, but whose opportunities were hindered by poverty and family difficulties.
Read the full article in the autumn issue of Asia Pacific Baker, for more insights into SYB’s training activities, including the baking courses and new additions to their program.