It was a chilly Friday at Park Inn by Radisson Kigali Hotel in Kiyovu, when a group of 25 Rwanda SOS children Villages were invited to learn how to bake cookies. 

On their arrival, they were directed straight to the Hotel’s kitchen, where they were handed aprons and showed the ingredients to use.

They washed their hands and wiped them dry. Ready for the fun activity.

The kids were instructed on every step.

Their hands were soaked up in dough, trying to mix up ingredients to make cookies. 

The smiles on the kids’ faces were priceless, they just couldn’t believe that their hands could create something beautiful and yummy.

The Hotel’s chef was moving around the kitchen to give a hand, to anyone who needed help. 

The kids were excited as the skills they were learning would be useful someday in the future. In about two hours, the training process was done. 

The children couldn’t wait to take a bite of what they had baked. From their facial expression, it tasted sweet. They had to pack all the cookies they had made to share with their other colleagues that hadn’t come. 

Immediately after the baking occasion, kids were assembled at the Hotel’s reception where each was given a gift, as a sign of love since it is also a month of sharing with the needy, and loved ones.  

In an interview with James Ndizeye, the Responsible business coordinator at the Hotel, said, Park Inn has partnered with SOS children’s village both locally and internationally as a way of giving them any kind of support for instance, financially, through training and any way that would change their wellbeing.

"We decided to equip these children with baking skills that they can apply at home. The Hotel also offers children of SOS with internship training especially in engineering,” he said.

He added that last month, the hotel hosted 70 caretakers from Rwanda SOS Children’s Villages in four centres and shared a meal with them, as a way of appreciating them for the great work they do to be parents and provide the parental care for these children.

Early next year, the Hotel is also planning to train these mothers in culinary art so that they are able to use the skills taught, to earn a living, Ndizeye added.

He encouraged all well-wishers, good Samaritans to give any support or drop in the donation box at the Hotel some money to help deprived children to create a meaningful life. 

He also explained that Park Inn mobilizes its staff to contribute towards the SOS children’s needs, in the form of money, clothes, food or any help, which has been successful so far. 

He noted that giving to the needy is a seed that is planted in them that even when they will grow they get to know the value of giving and also offer the same help when they turn in to better people.