KAFD scholarship helps aspiring chef find recipe for career success

DEAD SEA — A scholarship from the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) was instrumental in realising the dream of Sameeha Bin Tareef, 27, of becoming a chef.

KAFD recently celebrated its 20th anniversary at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea.

As a response to the directions of His Majesty King Abdullah, KAFD was founded to promote the country’s sustainable development, seeking through its partnership with both public and private sectors to implement development projects and hotspots, especially in the areas that suffer the most from poverty and unemployment, according to its website.

Sameeha got her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Hashemite University, but she always dreamed of studying at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA). 

“For many reasons, including the financial costs, I could not study at RACA after I finished high school, which is why I studied engineering. I tried to find a job in my field, but did not find any, and the dream of studying at the academy kept lingering in my mind until I learned about the scholarships that His Majesty King Abdullah provides through KAFD,” she told The Jordan Times during a recent interview.

Sameeha expressed her gratitude for the scholarship, which covered the entire costs of her studies.

“I am very happy and grateful to have had this opportunity to achieve my dream. I graduated this year and I am a top student of my batch,” she said.

She noted that her learning experience in the academy “made her love cooking even more and to see it as an art, science and a commitment”.

“I benefitted significantly from the academy. I was chosen with a group of other colleagues to participate as assistant chefs for the events held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, which was great,” Sameeha continued.

“Studying at RACA was a unique experience, as it is different in all aspects: The teaching system, discipline, the quality of the learning materials and the experience of the chefs who taught there. The kitchens there were fully equipped and ready for us to learn the latest cooking techniques,” she added.

Sameeha aspires to open her own restaurant in Madaba in order to “offer our delicious traditional food, but perhaps with a modern twist which would represent the authenticity of Jordanian food for tourists in a way that is more familiar to them,” she said.