As part of the GameChange program we will be sharing a range of local success stories.
As a local not-for-profit organisation, Wellsprings for Women’s vision is “All women shaping their own lives”.
Under their umbrella, Cultural Cuisines is a social enterprise developed with goals that align with the Wellsprings vision.
To create a safe environment for women to find mainstream employment, Wellsprings for Women introduced Cultural Cuisines as a culturally sensitive solution – appreciating that many women in our community prefer a women-only work environment.
Additionally, English proficiency is a barrier for many women, making it harder to find mainstream employment – Cultural Cuisines develops these skills.
It started with a small cooking program - “Cooking the Art of Belonging”, which won the 2019 Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence.
From there, and in response to the women’s requests to earn an income from their cooking, the program team began exploring a model that aimed to monetise the skills women already had.
Today, women who are part of Cultural Cuisines sit for an accredited food handling certificate with a local RTO. The enterprise has collaborated with William Angliss Institute, Space2be Social Design, and the National Food Institute, who all support the program and cultivate the skills of these women.
Wellsprings has upgraded and registered their kitchen with Council so that food can be prepared for the purpose of sales and since then, they have catered for a diverse group of local organisations, City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey, and Cardinia Shire events.
Every catering order gives women the opportunity to learn new skills, train, cook, bake, excel, produce magnificent multi-cultural food, support themselves and their families and enjoy a safe and happy environment.
