Bangkok--24 Sep--Aziam Burson-Marsteller Unilever continues its “Adding Vitality to Life” mission for children under the care of juvenile observation and protection centers by launching the new “Wanna Be A Real Chef?” program in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Thai Royal Navy. The program is designed to help the children become productive members of society. Ten children from juvenile observation and protection centers will have an opportunity to hone their cooking skills with the master chef of the Unilever Kitchen. The cooking class will take place at the Naval Supply School, Royal Thai Navy. Wanna Be A Real Chef? is a social activity initiated by Foodsolutions, Unilever Thai Trading, in cooperation with the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection, Ministry of Justice and the Naval Supply School. The program provides 10 young people from the centers, who have good behavior and enjoy cooking with an opportunity to learn both theoretically and practically about being a chef from leading Unilever Foodsolutions and Naval Supply School chefs. The 10 participating young people were exclusively selected via thorough screening procedures by a panel of qualified individuals from the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection and Unilever. The program welcomed applications from young people, who are more than 18 years old, fond of cooking and are under the care of the juvenile observation and protection centers in Bangkok, including the Metta Home, Karuna Home, Mutita Home, Ubekkha Home, Sirindhorn Home, Kanchanapisek Home, Pranee Home and Chumchon Home in August. 100 people were selected in the first round and each of them took a written examination on subjects including Thai, mathematics and the psychology of living in society. Initially, 30 individuals were selected for interviews and finally 10 were chosen to participate in the training program. The 10 selected young people will join a 3-day per week, 4-month long training program that runs from September to December 2007. The practical class will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Naval Supply School and the theoretical lessons will be offered every Friday by Unilever’s food specialists. At the completion of the program all participants who complete the training will receive certificates issued by Unilever, further the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection will help look for appropriate jobs for these young people after they are released. Mr. Jaran Pukditanakul, Permanent Secretary for Justice said the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection was established in 2002 as part of the Ministry of Justice. Its core mission is to provide control, treatment, rehabilitation, development and welfare of children and teens who have been convicted of a crime. It is responsible for developing the legal procedures to protect the rights and security of juveniles and their families. Another important duty is to boost the Department’s image emphasizing that it is not a children’s detention center, as it has been viewed in the past. The Department’s focus is to promote proactive activities and public participation to protect juveniles. “It is an important milestone that that a private sector organization, like Unilever, has recognized the importance of returning children to the society and has joined the Ministry to run a new initiative to offer new occupational alternatives to underprivileged children.” Mr. Loic Tardy, Chairman, Unilever Thai Trading said, “We have contributed to the sustainable development of the Thai society for the more than 75 years of our presence in Thailand, by providing a diverse range of popular consumer products to Add Vitality to Life — our core mission. This year, we continue our unique mission by initiating the first Wanna Be A Real Chef? Program in Thailand, utilizing Unilever Foodsolutions’ expertise as a world-class food business for the benefit of the Thai Society.” “We hope that Wanna Be A Real Chef? will be a pilot project that encourages the children in the observation homes to behave well, following the path of the young participants of this program.We also expect that this initiative will encourage the 10 young people to acquire cooking skills that they will use to earn an honest living for themselves and their families and become good citizens of the Thai society,” added Mr. Tardy. Rear Admiral Rerngrit Boonsongprasert, Director General Naval Civil Affairs Department said, “The Thai Royal Navy is delighted to take part in this important project and enhance the occupational skills of these underprivileged children. By participating in the program, the young people from observation centers can acquire real cooking experience through the practical training that is being held here.” Currently, the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection, The Ministry of Justice operates 76 juvenile observation and protection centers and 17 training centers nationwide. There are 28,206 young people under the protection of the department and these include 2,515 girls and 25,691 boys.About Foodsolutions Unilever Foodsolutions is one of the world's leading global foodservice businesses. We work with customers including caterers, restaurateurs and major hotel and fast-food chains to create food solutions that help grow their business. Our Vision is to be Best Solutions providers for our customers. Unilever Foodsolutions products include Knorr, Lipton, and Best Foods.About Unilever The Unilever Thai Group of Companies is a fast-moving consumer goods company with a strong presence in Thailand for more than 70 years. Unilever offers Thai consumers a wide range of leading brands in four categories. Home Care products - Breeze, Omo and Surf detergents, Comfort Fabric softener, Sunlight dishwashing liquid, Vim floor cleaning products. Personal Care Skin Care and Cleansing - SunSilk, Clinic Clear hair care products; Axe, Rexona deodorant, Close-Up toothpaste and Dove. - Pond’s, Vaseline, Citra skin care products and Lux. Ice Refreshment and Foods include Wall’s Ice Cream, Knorr, Lipton and Bestfoods, and Unilever Network. For more information, please contact: Saranjit Chuwongkomol or Duangnead Chevavichavankul Aziam Burson-Marsteller Tel. 0 2252 9871 Email: [email protected]