Alex M. Yamah (4th from left is LiPCA’s President) and Cross section of World Chefs Societies’ membership at the U.A.E. culinaire EXPO 2020.
By Samuel G. Dweh, Freelance Development Journalist & President—Liberia Association of Writers (LAW)
Contacts —+231 (0)886618906/776583266/samuelosophy@yahoo.com/samuelosophy1@gmail.co
Author’s Special Notes:
The Global Leaders—all standing: Chef Andy Cuthbertin the group above(2nd from right, World Association of Chefs Societies Coordinator for Middle East and Africa; (First roll)The Vice President of the Sourh Africa Chefs Association(SACS), and Chef Alex M. Yamah (fourth), President of Liberia Professional Chefs Association (LIPCA)
Global Culinary Honors of LIPCA’s current Presdent—Alex M. Yamah:
- Two Certificates from EXPO CULINAIRE 2020—held in Dubai, United Arab Emirate
- Certificate of Recognition: For Attending and Completing A Competition Seminar organized by the World Association of Chefs Societies
- Emirate Culinary Guild’s “Appreciation Certificate”: for serving as JUNIOR JUDGE at Expo Culinate Salon Culinare (2020), United Arab Emirate
Above Information provided by LIPCA’s President—Alex M. Yamah.
DATE OF BIRTH AND COMPOSITION
Founded on April 9, 2009, the Liberia Professional Chefs Association (LIPCA), a non-profit organization, boasts of over 150 members across the country.
The entity, currently headed by Mr. Alex M. Yamah as president,exists to promote Liberian Cuisines, to promote and preserve the cultures and traditions of Liberian Chefs, among other nation-building services.
LIPCA’s existence has benefited the Hotel and Tourism Industry in Liberia, via increase in professional knowledge to the International Standards of the Culinary Arts, networking with other Chefs’ Associations worldwide, training of young Chefs through LIPCA’s Workshops, publishing of culinary videos, etc.
Some members of LICPA’s members (chefs)Left-Right:
Kelechi Dole, Linda Morway, Mercy Tulay, &AlieuBangura,
LIPCA’S CULINARY PRODUCTIONS
Since its inception, on April 9, 2009, LIPCA has been showcasing culinary works (or productions) by its members at large public gathering or at private residences—on hire.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
LIPCA is a member of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) since 2013, and the first culinary institution within the West African Anglophone region that was admitted into WACS’s membership culinary circle and certificated.
The Association has maintained her WACS membership status since 2013.
Furthermore, LIPCA had participated, twice, in the 2018/2019 edition of the West African Food Festival (WAFFest) event held in Accra, Ghana, in September and October respectively.
Apart from the WAFFest event, the Liberian chefs’ umbrella body registered its physical presence at other Culinary/Hospitality occasions. One of them is the Hospitality All Africa Peoples’Imbizo (HAAPI), an annual event that brings together Countries’ national Associations across Africa to showcase their best culinary skills, and to advance ideas that could improve the continent’s culinary and hospitality industries.
LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS/MEMBERSHIPS
LIPCA has also established bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships with its counterparts at the local (Liberia),Regional (Africa), and International levels.
At the local level, LIPCA is a member of the National Collective Societies of Liberia (COSLIB), Coalition of Liberian Businesses Association (COLBA), among others. COSLIB is composed of the following independent Organizations: Liberia National Culture Union, Liberia Association of Writers (LAW), Liberia Movie Union, Musicians Union of Liberia, Union of Liberian Artists, National Photographers Union of Liberia, Liberia Professional Chefs Association, and Liberia National Tailors, Textile, Garment & Allied Workers Union.
At the Conference Room of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI): LIPCA’s president Alex Yamah (first from right) at a meeting between the National Collective Societies of Liberia (COSLIB) and MOCI’s Minister (Prof.) Wilson Tarpeh (absence during the meeting), Friday, July 24, 2020.
At the Regional level, LIPCA holds full membership with the West Africa Chefs Association (WACA), and the Africa Chefs United (ACU). The ACU is now transitioning to Africa Chefs Alliance (ACA). While
On the Global/International level, LIPCA is a registered member of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS)
HUMANITARIAN OUTREACH
Since its inception, in 2009, LIPCA has reached out, on a charity mission, to many care centers and educational institutions for children.
On December 2014, LIPCA visited the HRBROWN Orphanage, where it donated foodand other items.
On October 20, 2015, the Association held a program at the Covenant Nurturing Center, in Sinkor, Monrovia, as part of World Chefs Day Celebration. Free foods were shared here.
In October, 2017, LIPCA went out to All God’s Children School, located in Matadi Estate, Sinkor, Monrovia, to celebrate with kidson the International Chefs Day event.
LIPCA visited the Bridge of Hope School, in Matadi Estate, to talk the students, mostly kids, about good food and how to prepare it.
NATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL
In 2019, LIPCA organized, for the first time, a three-day National Food Festival. The event brought together a cross-section of culinary and hospitality practitioners and some government line ministries and agencies. The core objective of the event was to project the true nature of Liberia’s gastronomic and cuisines (in the Liberian context) to the rest of the World. Moreover, the event brought together various Embassies near Monrovia for culinary and gastronomic exchanges. Day
The Teaching segment of the event began with culinary tutorial session by Chef Shaun Michael Smith who provided on-hand knowledge on sauce production in line with international best practice and food waste procedure.
During preparation stages of the Liberia National Food Festival (LiNFFest), LIPCA wrote several business entities for sponsorship, through joint partnerships with the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI), General Services Agency (GSA) and the Monrovia City Cooperation (MCC); and many foreign business entities.
MAX Culinary Services, a Liberian-owned business, headed by Mr. Alex M. Yamah as the Chief Executive Officer, coordinated the LIPCA-Foreign Companies interactions on for the success of LiNFFest.
Some of foreign business groups that responded to LIPCA’s assistance-request are: Bridgeway Cooperation, Qua-Life, Premier Mill, Stop & Shop Supermarket Boulevard Palace Hotel, RLJKendeja Hotel & Villas.
Each foreign business entity provided support both in cash and kind for the smooth hosting of the Liberia National Food Festival (LiNFFest)
The three-day event started at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town; it at the Monrovia City Hall.
Each of the institutions (mentioned above) that supported the hosting of LiNFFest has established partnership with LIPCA.
The Liberian Culinary practitioners’ umbrella body is now using its inter-exchange platform to promote and market products of its partners (sponsors of LiNFest) to the general through culinary productions (cooked foods)
At the Liberia National Food Festival (LiNFFest), LIPCA organized food-preparation competition among culinary sections of the various ‘Foods sale Companies’—involved in sale of fresh or cooked foods—as part of LiNFest. The Millennium Guest House (in Congotow) clinched the First-Place Award and was given a souvenir certificate. The Award ceremony was held at the Ballroom of the Monrovia City, located at 1st and 2nd Streets, Sinkor.
First-Place Award for Millennium Guest House’s Culinary Department (Congotown, Monrovia) from LiNFFest. Award ceremony’s venue: Ballroom of the Monrovia City Hall. Millennium Guest House’s Chef Melvin Harris receiving his Institution’s Prize from the Deputy Minister, Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism (MICAT), Hon. Lance Gbagonyon. LIPCA’s president, Alex M. Yamah (first from left) and a Millennium Guest House’s employee witnessing the presentation.
EDUCATIONAL PROSPECT
The Liberia Professional Chefs Association (LIPCA)is on a mission to reposition Liberia’s culinary arts and Hospitality industry. To achieve this, LIPCA had begun negotiation with reputable internationally recognized institutions of such kinds. Some of the Institutions being engaged on this nation-building Project are: Hospitality Management and Hotel institution, the City Guide and that of the South Africa Chefs Education Forum.
Committed to turning this dream into reality, LIPCA’s president, Chef Alex Yamah, in March 2020 visited Dubai on the invitation of the Emirates Culinary Association. While in Dubai, Chef Alex held meeting with Chef Andy Culbert, Vice President for Middle East and Africa Affairs at the level of World Association of Chefs Societies, and Thomas Gluger, President of WACS. During these discussions, the LIPCA president recommended establishment of a training center (to be under the direction of Chef Andy) by WACSfor preparation of local, national and international competitions.
Moreover, LIPCA is fully involved in the “Feeding Campaign”, a global call to identify with front-liners (healthcare workers, security personnel, the vulnerable people, Medias, etc.) during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
LIPCA hope to spearhead Liberia’s version of the “Feeding Campaign” through the Institution’s “Chefs Cooking to Save Lives” campaign.
LIPCA’s Partners on the “Feeding Campaign” are: Prime Communications (Benson Street, Monrovia) Inc., OK FM (located at Lynch Street, Monrovia), and the Group of 77—the Government’s care arm for Persons with Disabilities (located at Newport Street, Monrovia)
MENTORSHIP—GROOMING FROM THE ‘GRASS ROOT’
On Friday, July 30, 2020, LIPCA drilled young people (between ages 6 and 21) through a ‘culinary education’—a basic knowledge of how to prepare various foods. The event, held at Chevron Central Park, Vai Town, Bushrod Island, Monrovia, is part of LIPCA’s “Young Chefs Club” program (education), which began in this year (2020)
“Right now, we have one year scholarship from HTMI, in Dubai, to one of these kids as a candidate,” LIPCA’s president, Alex M. Yamah, explained to this writer.
Now ‘equipped’ to ‘replace the retired pioneers’: Young ‘culinary graduates’ pose for photo at the “Young Chefs Club” recruitment program
PRESENCE ON THE GLOBAL STAGE
In September 2018, LIPCA attended the inaugural annual edition of the West African Food Festival (WAFFEST) in Accra-Ghana.
LIPCA is currently in talks with highly world-recognized Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, and as well as Curriculum development institutions, some of whom are based in the United Kingdom (UK), South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Further, arrangement had already been concluded for one of those institutions to come to Liberia. But before coming, which is scheduled for August 2020, an online learning Program in the area of culinary arts will commence with atleast 10 Chefs who will receive certificates at the end of the training
In addition, the Liberia Professional Chefs Association, during this transitioning of Africa Chefs United to Africa Chefs Alliance, temporarily occupies the Secretarial department. As Secretary, LIPCA is charged with the responsibilities to record meetings’ minutes, draft and receive outgoing and incoming communications at the level of ACA. Besides, LIPCA is responsible to coordinate and propagate agreement reached including every topic or issue under discussion to fast-track implementation of ACA’s Culinary-related Projects.
STUMBLING BLOCKS
In spite of its notably positive culinary footprints at home and abroad, LIPCA faces taller financial walls in its way to completing a full circle of nation-building service.
At the local front: LIPCA members’ inability to pay rents for their business centers due to collapse of business (customers are no longer coming to buy), caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia; and the Association’s inability to get a new office (ejected from old place whose rent had been spontaneously risen by landlord—place now occupied by a cosmetics business), due to financially handicapped members’ inability to pay dues (caused by collapse of each person’s culinary business)
In the first quarter of year 2020, LIPCA drawn out the “2020 Strategic Plan” for National Culinary obligations, as well as its Global obligations—based on its memberships with International Culinary Organizations.
However, some of the planned events couldn’t be implemented due to covid-19 outbreak in Liberia in March. Nonetheless, negotiations and preparations with LIPCA’s sponsors have resumed so that remaining events can be implemented from September to December, 2020.