Students of determination take part in ‘healthy cooking’ contest

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

A group of students of determination took part in the ‘healthy cooking’ competition organized by the Rashid Center for People of Determination in the presence of artist Shatha Hassoun, Emirati Chef Somaya Obaid and Chef Abdul Rahman Al Shugairi.

Maryam Othman, Director General of the Rashid Center, teachers and officials from the centers’ departments received the guests as they witnessed and took part in the day-long cooking competition to make delicious dishes in the atmosphere of entertainment and improving their skills.

The cooking and healthy food competition was organized by the center among the students of the Vocational Rehabilitation Department. A food recipe characterized by its healthy components, at a time when the center was keen, during its organization of the competition’s activities, to implement the policy of social distancing and integrated sterilization operations, in the framework of the concern for the safety of the center’s students.

Maryam Othman, Director General of the Center, expressed her pleasure at the visit of the artist, Shatha Hassoun, Chef Somaya Obaid and Chef Abdel Rahman Al Shugairi. She said, “during this visit, our children had a beautiful leisure time, during which we were able to introduce them to the types of healthy food that suit their health and contribute to strengthening their immunity.”

She further said, “Since the establishment of the center, we have been seeking to constantly renew the vocational rehabilitation program for female students, so that we work every time to teach them new skills, whether in cooking or handicrafts. Undoubtedly, this program contributes to breaking the barrier of fear among students of dealing with some tools, especially those that are used during the cooking process.

Othman mentioned that “in the cooking competition that we launched, the goal was to educate and train the students on ways to prepare healthy foods, as this comes from our awareness of the importance of healthy foods for people of determination, regardless of their disabilities, and this is due to their general health.”

Maryam Othman indicated that the visit of Chef Somaya Obaid and Chef Abdel Rahman Al Shugairi, along with the artist Shatha Hassoun, increased the students’ enthusiasm to learn new ways of cooking, while making sure to clarify all the ingredients for these dishes.

For her part, the artist, Shatha Hassoun, expressed her happiness with this visit and said “no visitor entering the Rashid Center for People of Determination can but touch all kinds of happiness and joy drawn on the faces of the students, who gave me a high dose of positive energy, through which they were able to overcome barriers of disability, to express their desire for life.”

She added, “I cannot describe how happy I am with the center’s students participating in the cooking competition and preparing healthy food. I was surprised by the level of skill that the center’s students have, in the process of preparing healthy dishes and sweets.”

As for the Emirati chef, Somaya Obaid, she confirmed that she was surprised by the level of the students and the skills they have in the field of cooking and preparing healthy meals. She praised the efforts made by the center to educate, train and rehabilitate students fully.

She said, “This visit allowed me to get acquainted with all the programs offered by the center to its students, through which it works to rehabilitate, train and prepare them to face and face life’s challenges.”

Chef Somaya expressed her admiration for the students’ knowledge of the types of healthy food. She said: “In recent years, I have noticed the high level of interest in healthy foods, and many people’s avoidance of foods saturated with fat, in order to preserve their general health, and there is no doubt that training students of people of determination in this type of food reflects positively on their health and immunity.”

Meanwhile, Chef Abdul Rahman Al Shugairi expressed his admiration for the idea of a cooking and healthy food competition organized by the center for its students, stressing the importance of qualifying students to prepare healthy meals, as well as breaking the barrier of fear between them and kitchen utensils, considering that this contributes to refining their skills and strengthening their knowledge of things and ways to deal with them.