We will remember with excitement the day our Stefcho became the winner for Bulgaria in the international gastro competition for people with disabilities "Cupid's Spoon".
“You are yet to read and hear about him.” – one of our volunteers, who supported Stefcho with extra lessons to graduate school and find a job sooner, said categorically 8 years ago.
He turned out to be right. We have watched his achievements with pride all these years. We read and hear about him – about his dreams, about his perseverance and difficulties on the way to fulfilling them, about his successes.
For a long time, Stefcho dreamed of becoming a chef and worked hard to make this dream come true. He completed a cooking course and 3 years ago started an internship in a catering company as a prep cook, where he still works today. See more about his story in the video:
Recently he had the opportunity to show his skills in the international gastro competition for people with disabilities “Cupid’s Spoon”, organized by the Croatian association UNUO.
The days before the competition were exciting not only for him but also for the whole team of our Protected Home in Kazanlak, where he has been living for 10 years. They were all by his side, helping him with the selection of recipes, practising for days their preparation and most of all – giving him courage that he would do well.
And he did! Stefcho’s pork roulade and homemade cake won him all the applause and led him to first place in the competition. With his victory, he is moving on to the next round, which will take place in Zagreb in the autumn.
We are proud of his performance and can’t wait for all that lies ahead on his path to his dream of becoming a professional chef!
“Cupid’s Spoon”
The project was developed by the UNUO association, which has been providing culinary training for people with disabilities since 2009. This is the cause of the popular Croatian chef Vedran Habel and his wife Silvija Habel. So far, they have held over 1,000 workshops for people with disabilities, and many of the participants are now working full-time thanks to the skills they have acquired.
The aim of the Cupid’s Spoon gastro competition is to show that people with disabilities can be successful in everyday activities when given the opportunity and support they need. With this mission in 2024, the association aims to select winners from 40 countries to take part in the final part of the competition in Zagreb.
