Aspiring Young Chef Credits CARICOM Youth Programme with Success
Saint Lucian National John Altius is on the verge of fulfilling his dream of owning and operating his own restaurant. He credits the CARICOM Aspiring Youth Empowerment Programme (AYEP) with opening new doors for incredible opportunities.
ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
“The programme showed me that I was limiting myself to new opportunities,” states John, who completed the programme in 2020. “It opened my mind because the focus went beyond traditional aspects of business to self-development and motivation”.
John shared that as a teenager, he enjoyed preparing meals and experimenting with new dishes. He was inspired to become a chef because of the limited food choices in Saint Lucia, and the AYEP allowed him to create a roadmap for owning and managing a restaurant where he could create his own culinary experiences for Saint Lucians and tourists.
MENTORSHIP WAS CRITICAL
Developing a business model is a critical aspect of the programme, and John praises his AYEP mentor for consistently guiding his strategy beyond the programme’s conclusion.
“My mentor manages a restaurant in the United States, so he provided a wealth of knowledge which informed my business model for opening my restaurant in Saint Lucia”, stated John.
He acknowledges that securing finance and building a customer base for his restaurant seemed daunting, but his mentor provided significant insight and guidance through his lived experiences. “He explained that ‘start-up’ and getting finance is hard, but guided me through the process using his experiences as examples,” states John, “we discussed cost-effective methods to open the restaurant, marketing the idea to investors, how to build the menu, dishes to serve and how to structure the business including workforce and what services to outsource”.
CLEAR PATH TO REALISING A DREAM
John describes the mentorship he received from AYEP as “phenomenal”. “Youths in our Region do not have adequate access to mentorship,” underscores John, “it’s one thing to dream, but you’re more motivated to realise that dream if there’s someone to tell you, yes, it works, and this is how you can achieve it. The mentorship provided a clear path for realising my dream”.
AYEP led to his participation in other programmes in 2020, including the “Democratizing Innovation in the Americas” (DIA) Programme in Jamaica and the “Sustainable Development Movement Summit” facilitated by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
After acquiring new skills from the AYEP and motivated by his programme mentor, John applied and received a scholarship to the “Linguistic Exchanges and Innovative Learning through Mobility” programme or ELAN to pursue a Masters in “Money, Banking Finance Assurance” in Martinique. John invested in French classes and dedicated his evenings to learning the language since the programme is taught entirely in French.
John also sharpened his culinary skills in Martinique; “I was able to interact with several Chefs who exposed me to new skills – how to create different tastes, servings and dishes – a lot of brilliant ideas that I plan to use in my restaurant,” states John.
DEVELOPING MY OWN COUNTRY IS A PRIORITY
John is adamant that his newfound business management and culinary skills must benefit his home country. “Many people will say, why not look for job opportunities in France? However, I am serious about building my own country”.
“I will not leave Saint Lucia,” emphasises John, “I believe that Caribbean people need to return and contribute to the home country that gave them purpose and opportunities to build their capacity”.
With developing his home country as a priority, John plans to secure a small business loan to start his restaurant and transform the culinary landscape of Saint Lucia.
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Source: CARICOM TODAY