Two percent of our profit goes to Qomalicious, a gastronomic project set up for the young people of the Nyanga township in Cape Town.

The founder of Soekmekaar, Lien Kockelbergh, lost her heart to the South African city when she stayed there for two years. She met Isabelle Dechamps, from Antwerp, during her first month there. They clicked straightway and the two women became good friends. Isabelle is one of the three founders of The Together Community Upliftment Trust and told Lien about a project in Nyanga, one of the largest townships in Cape Town.

The name ‘Qomalicious’ means ‘delicious taste’ in a mix of Xhosa, Zulu and English. In this cookery school disadvantaged young people from Nyanga can attend free courses to become sous-chefs, barkeepers or waiters. During apartheid the black population was treated as second-class citizens and driven from their residences to areas outside the city. In these townships the poverty and unemployment percentages have always been very high.

The head of the cookery school is chef Nokubonga Swartbooi. She grew up in a township and encourages her students to better their future through cooking. During the course the students are also given work placements in various restaurants and bars in Cape Town

As a driven catering woman Lien was enormously interested in this project. She therefore decided to support Qomalicious financially.

You can find more information on the Facebook page and the website of The Together Trust.