Reach for a Dream inspires hope in children who are facing life-threatening illnesses through the power of a dream, and our goal is to make sure their dreams come true.
Richards Bay, South Africa (27 June 2022) – Lethabo Redise loves cooking. Her favourite television series is Cake Boss, and her dream is to one day be a chef running a busy kitchen in a successful restaurant. But the 13-year-old, who lives with her mother Emily in Richard’s Bay, suffers from a life-threatening illness which makes seeing her dream realised a little more difficult than for most.
Enter Reach for a Dream and Capsicum Culinary Studio, which joined forces to give Redise and her mother an unforgettable day at the culinary school’s Durban campus.
Kerry Donkin, Reach for Dream’s regional manager for Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Free State and Northern Cape, takes up the story: “Reach for a Dream inspires hope in children who are facing life-threatening illnesses through the power of a dream, and our goal is to make sure their dreams come true. Lethabo was referred to us by one of the many doctors we work with, and from there, we begin the assessment process, getting to know Lethabo and what she is all about. From our conversations, we established her three biggest dreams and then chose the dream that stood out the most.
“Because of Lethabo’s love of cooking, her dream is to one day become a chef, so we contacted our wonderful friends at Capsicum Culinary Studio in Durban to help.”
Ann Nagan, Capsicum’s Durban campus head continues: “When Reach for a Dream contacted us to ask if we would assist, we agreed immediately as this is a cause close to my heart and that of the rest of the staff. We set up a campus visit with the Reach For A Dream team and discussed what we could do to give Lethabo a day she would never forget.
“Once it was all organised, we had Lethabo experience a day in the life of a chef. First, she and her mom participated in a cake decorating class and got to decorate their own cakes, followed by a stint in the hot kitchen, assisting chef lecturer Caren Marimuthu in preparing lunch for herself, her mom and the Reach for a Dream team. At the end of both these classes, Lethabo ‘graduated’ and was presented with a personalised Capsicum Chef’s Jacket.”
Nagan confirms that while it was the first time assisting in making a dream come true, it will certainly not be the last.
“As campus head, I have personally pledged to assist in helping all Reach for a Dream’s aspiring chefs achieve their dreams.”
Concludes Emily Redise: “I’d like to thank all those at Reach for a Dream and Capsicum Culinary Studio who helped make Lethabo’s dream come true. She truly had a wonderful day and an unforgettable experience.”
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