“I first decided to sign up for HCSA Academy’s culinary course because cooking reminded me of the times I spent back at home with my mother, before landing myself in a girl’s home. My first day felt slightly uncomfortable as I did not expect to be the youngest and the only girl!
Being surrounded by girls most of the time, I was not used to it at first. But I soon realised that the other trainees were easy to get along with and I wasn’t treated any differently from the rest. In fact, I didn’t feel as though being a girl was a disadvantage at all. I would definitely encourage other girls to join the course too.
The course boosted my self-confidence tremendously which made the entire experience worth it. When I first went in, I felt unsure of myself especially when I was the last to finish preparing our first fried rice dish. But now, I can confidently cook a dish on my own – even if people are watching me. Whenever I go home over the weekend, I make an effort to help my mother cook.
It makes me happy to know that my mother is proud of me for taking this course – especially because there were many times when I didn’t think I could make it through. Knowing that I did makes me confident of my ability to achieve things when I put my heart and mind to it. After all, if I can take away something valuable from this course, everyone else can too.”
Testimony by Mandy*, Graduate of HCSA Academy