I Jovial, Togolese chef

1. I Jovial, Togolese chef
My name’s Jovial, I’m 31.
I was born in Kara, in the Kozah region, where both my
parents come from. We belong to the Kabye ethnic
group.
A childhood away from home:
My father was in the services, and my mother had
to leave him when I was 5, and my sister Nadège, 3. We
sought refuge with one of my aunts, who welcomed us
but made it clear from the start that my mother would have to work quickly. In order to do
so, she would have to resume schooling, as she left school early due to her pregnancy. So,
this is what she bravely did, and once she got her end-of-secondary-education certificate,
my aunt managed to have her hired at the local hospital, as a caregiver. Since then, she
progressively climbed the professional ladder; she now works as middle manager, and is
one of the most ancient employee of this hospital. Once she made a living, we could rent
our own place where I lived, with my mother and sister, up until I was in 3rd grade.
This is when my mother decided it was important for me to receive a « man’s
education », and sent me to live with my uncle in Lome, the main city located in the far
south. There I stayed from 3rd grade to 7th grade. I didn’t do very well, actually; I felt kind of
forlorn, besides, I didn’t get on well with my uncle’s wife. She treated me like a domestic
worker, and my uncle wasn’t aware of it because he would leave to work very early in the
morning and come back after dusk. Each morning, I had to get up around 4AM to fetch
water to the closest well, 2 miles away… But no matter how early I would go, there always
was an endless line and I rarely came back before 6AM. I then had to clean the house and
courtyard, and go to school at 7AM. I didn’t have time for breakfast. I would always arrive
late at school, and get punished. Then I would fall asleep out of exhaustion, and get
punished again.
One day when I was in 4th grade, the Head master walked by our place and saw me
still washing the dishes at 7:30 AM, when I should have been in class already; he
understood my situation, and from this day on, I was saved… I wasn’t punished at school
any more. To be honest, I preferred to be at school than at my uncle’s at that time, because I
enjoyed learning things, and also because things worsened at home, where I would
sometimes get beaten with electric cables. But I wouldn’t say a word about it to my mother,
because in Togo it is inappropriate for a child to complain about or criticize adults; and on
the rare occasions when my mother visited, my aunt and uncle managed to conceal the real
situation.
Tumultuous middle and high-school years:
In 7th grade a cousin of mine came in Lome for a 3-month training; he was staying at
my uncle’s, and saw the real situation for himself. He talked to my mother, so that she would
take me back. That day when I came back home, she cried because she realized what I had
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2. been through, that her son was miserable. During the 2-3 years following my homecoming, I
would resent her a little, because I had felt abandoned, and also because I was under the
impression that she was closer to my sister.
When I came back to Dapaong, I changed from a public to a private school, and I strived. I
repeated 7th then 8th grade, and my younger sister, who had skipped a grade, caught up
with me, then passed me. When she went to high school while I was still stuck in middle
school, I became bitter; she started to mock and despise me, so one day I beat her. My
mother was infuriated, so she asked another of my uncles’ to lecture me. I confided in him
all my frustrations, and he in turn talked to my mother, and made her see that she had been
biased and unfair. Regaining my mother’s esteem and affection made me feel better, and I
resumed studying with a new heart.
It’s worth mentioning that in Togo, most families use severe punishment as a driving
force to studies: if you don’t get good grades, you get beaten, you don’t get to eat, you get
locked. Some kids try to run away from home, or even commit suicide. I was no exception
to this system up until 8th grade, but after my uncle talked to my mother, she stopped using
severe punishments, and adopted a « it’s your life, just do what you have to do to succeed »
attitude, or else softer punishment such as denying leisure activities or vacations, non-vital
things at any rate. I loved spending time with my cousins during vacations, so this type of
threat would boost me much more effectively into studying, than any corporal punishment.
In 11th grade however, another little slump. I was iddle, I had made the wrong friends,
moreover I was aggravated again at my sister’s going to the University before I did. This
year, my whole class was so unruly that all of us got expelled; at the end-of-the-year
ceremony, the principal told us that whether we had pulled it off to the next grade or not, he
didn’t want to see any of us next year. My mother was really upset, and warned me that I
would have to come up with a way of getting my school supplies next year. So I found a
summer job in the fields, in a village located 15 km away from home. I wasn’t really angry,
because I realized that I deserved this punishment, and I was ashamed; I worked so hard
that by the end of the summer, I had earned the tidy sum of 35 000 FCA (about 60 $). When I
came back home with this money, I noticed a glimmer of pride in my mother’s eyes; I was
proud too, I felt like a man.
Problem was, the Principal had not been blowing smoke, and when I showed up to
school that September, I found the doors closed. My mother was so upset that she said she
was going to enroll me into the closest public school, 15 km from where we lived! This time,
I squarely refused, and things got really rough on me. Finally my mother summoned me to
tell me:
- « What on earth do you want to do?
- I don’t want to go to school any more, I want to learn a real trade now;
- OK, just find whatever work you want to do and the required training, and we’ll see. But
remember, in life things don’t always go the way you think they will. »
Choosing another path, that of passion and achievement:
I didn’t really know where to start, and I kind of « stumbled » into cooking by chance:
first, because my mother had introduced me to cooking by using my help when she had to
prepare the Labor Day meal at the hospital; second, because she was at the time preparing
her vocational high school diploma at IBM (Institute Buame Management) in Dapaong. As it
turned out to be, chef Marcellin Lare, former chef of the Gabon president Omar Bongo,
wanted to share his good fortune, and had set up a cooking classe in that same
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3. establishment. I was really lucky to run directly into him when I came to enquire: there was a
real connection between us, as he immediately saw that I truly loved cooking. When I came
back home, I couldn’t wait to enroll in his class; also, I must say I wasn’t accustomed to
staying at home doing nothing, and found it quite depressing. I told my mother about it this
very same day; she was sort of taken aback, but didn’t say anything and the next day,
subscribed a loan to her employer. I remember she handed me the envelop containing 250
000 FCA ( 430 $), for me to pay the school fees: she wanted to make me feel responsible of
my own choices and future. « This is your project » she told me.
Once I had signed up for the course, I realized there was another problem: even
vocational trainings entail a theoretical part, with mathematics, economy and so on. But as
far as I was concerned, I really couldn’t stand the perspective of sitting behind a desk any
more, so I told Chef Marcellin that I wanted to attend practical courses only, and didn’t care
if I couldn’t obtain the actual diploma in the end. He agreed to it. I jumped onboard as the
school year had already started, I remember that my first practical course due the next day,
dealt with pies. I didn’t even know the basics, so when I came home I did researches until
late at night, in order to know all what had to be known about that particular dish. It quickly
became a habit, to check out in advance the subject due next day. Within a 6-month span, I
became top of my class. This, as well as the chef’s esteem, were my best rewards.
From the outset my ambition was not to have good grades, but to become a real chef; I was
taught classic cooking but I always wanted to learn cooking as an art, to innovate. I always
wanted to go beyond the rules, as opposed to straight-A students. And in all this, I had chef
Marcellin’s support, which greatly encouraged me.
He recommended me for a small job,
which familiarized me with on-field reality: job
stress, working schedules, constant pressure.
It made me grow, become more mature, to
better understand what it’s like to work hard for
a small wage. After a while I had to stop,
because I couldn’t juggle both work and
training, but it was a very enriching experience.
After that, I found another small job, which was
more convenient, because it consisted on
working on a touristic site during WE only. I
earned 5000 FCFA (10$) per WE, which
enabled me to save a little, and eventually to
take better care of my mother. I particularly
enjoyed inviting her at the restaurant, on
evenings when she was tired and would benefit
of not cooking at home.
After 3 years of practical cooking courses, I wound up with a 1-year unpaid work
experience with chef Patrick. That sort of training is supposed to last 6 months, but I had
noticed a trainee had to spend precisely this time washing the dishes and doing menial
tasks, before another trainee arrived and discharged him, allowing him to participate to more
interesting stuff. So, I knew from the start I wanted to stay 1 year instead of 6 months, and
this way I learnt a lot, especially when it came to dressings and sauces; as the saying goes,
« sauces are a real chef’s signature ».
This training was also a great opportunity to better understand what it’s like to work in a
renowned cuisine, the vibes during the rush of dinner hours.
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4. I also experienced being at the bottom of the working ladder, scrubbing pots. I came
across a number of trainees from wealthy families, who would complain: « I’m not paying
you to perform menial tasks », or « I’m not paying to be scolded ». These people tend to
think money is power, that they needn’t sweat to reach their goal; and they also tend to
avoid people like me as if poverty were a contagious disease. But I knew that contrary to
me, they wouldn’t learn much during their stay at chef Patrick’s restaurant.
First jobs, opportunities to start one’s career:
After this one-year training, I was lucky to get hired by a former Ministry of
Communication, a man named KOKOU Tozoun. The salary was good, around 70 000 FCFA
(120 $) per month.
But his wife originated from Kara like me, and because of old family and clan grudges, she
saw to it that I quickly leave the job. After this episode, and also that of my uncle’s wife in
Lomé, I refused to work for individuals, unless they’re not married!
After a few months without a professional activity, I found a job in a hotel in Burkina.
This is an English-speaking country, so they tend to think along a different line; they are not
so much interested in one’s grades or diplomas, as in what they’ve actually achieved, what
their experience is. During my first 2 days there, I had to manage a 700-guest inaugural
party for the hotel; I was hired right after this, and I stayed there for 3 years, as the manager
of a 5 kitchen staff. After a while though, I had this nagging impression that I didn’t deserve
my salary of 100 000 FCFA (170 $), because I wasn’t getting out of my comfort zone any
more, and my staff very well knew what to do. When my boss decided to cut the staff’s
salary due to business slack, I deemed it a good moment to leave, at least he could use the
money of my salary to maintain that of my staff.
I left for the town of TIEBA, to work in NORGOLD canteen, a gold-mining company
belonging to Russian businessmen. The job mainly consisted in dressing buffets and
preparing barbecues, which I liked; but the stress and volumes were intense, and after my
first year, I went back to Togo to take a short break. I met a young woman there, and about 3
months after going back to work in Burkina, I discovered that I would soon be a father, and
on top of that, of twins! I was on the verge of a new and important step of my life.
Starting over with competition
There was no way I was going to leave my wife and baby girls, but finding a job in my
native area was hard, and I had to make do with much smaller salaries than those I had
grown accustomed to. I had a few temporary positions, but my overall situation was not
satisfying and I was kind of depressed.
One day, my sister, with whom I was in touch very sporadically, sent me a link to an
international cooking contest, the African Young Chefs Competition, which is in fact an
advertising event for the Culinary Academy of Nigeria. She insisted so much that I should
enlist, that I eventually did so, after borrowing 300 $ from one of my cousins in Lebanon. « I
have faith in your capacities, so I’m lending you that money », she said.
I was quickly selected, but had to overcome my apprehensions to go to Nigeria, a neighbor
country regarded as dangerous by Togolese. After an endless journey by bus (I couldn’t
afford airfare), I finally arrived where the competition was to take place. I had been working
in a number of fine hotels, but it was the first time I would actually stay in one of them, a
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5. Hotel ACCORD at the time. We were 15 competitors all in all, but I was the only French-
speaking one; I am a self-made man when it comes to English-speaking, and I manage
pretty well, but it was a relief for me when chef Coco Reinagh, who is bilingual, announced
to the jury that he would be my translator, should the need arise.
Unlike the other candidates, who were accompanied by a delegation of their own
country, including politicians, journalists and so on, I came all alone; Togolese authorities
had not heard of the competition, as they heeded little attention to culinary events, and I
didn’t want to draw their attention on it for fear they might want to push one of their own,
highly qualified and more « academical » protégé into it. So I hadn’t pipped a word, and I
arrived without even carrying the Togolese flag with me. At the last second I was really
afraid, but then I thought « Jesus, You shall be my mentor ».
I did pretty fine in most tests, except for the dessert that I didn’t have time to finish;
when the moment of the results arrived, I was really stressed out of my mind! I made a third
place, which I knew was the best I could have pulled off given the competition’s level: when
the jury said my name, I was so elated that I didn’t hear anything else that they said
afterwards!
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6. Taking part to this international cooking competition tremendously broadened my
personal and professional horizons: I found out that there were better chefs than I am, and
that I still had a long way to go; that Nigeria was not at all the barbarian, dangerous country
Togolese thought it was, and that I liked it very much; they have good culinary level and
teaching, and made quite a long way regarding gastronomy’s quality and importance in
society, as opposed to us. This is also the case for South Africa, Kenya for instance… in
past times, Togolese cooks were deemed to be the best in Western Africa, though. But
Anglo-Saxon countries change faster, they are more ambitious, their educational system is
more performant.
More recently on 2018, I took part to a friendly competition organized by the French
Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria’s main city, between restaurants and hotels participating the
« Goûts de France - Good France » yearly culinary event. The restaurant I was running for
arrived second best.
Today, my personal ambition and dream is to improve in my field of expertise; in
particular, I dream of enrolling in the School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management « le
cordon bleu », in Paris. Many heads of State pick their personal chef there!
As you can see, Jovial’s itinerary and personality, is unlike that of many of his
compatriots’; so our curiosity was piqued, as to why he would show so much
ambition, feistiness and optimism, when so many tend to give up in the face of
adversity. Here are a few questions we asked of him:
S: Many youngsters have a hard time finding out what their talents are, and what they
want to do in life; how come that was not the case for you?
J: If you ask kids at school, what their dream job is, most of them will reply: physician,
accountant, officer in the army. But their answer is immature, as they have no idea what
these trades really consist of, they are just prejudiced in their favor.
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7. In my opinion, very few people are born already knowing what they’re meant to do, most of
us have to figure it out along the way. One has to identify what they really like, what they’re
good at, and once they have a lead, they should devote time to dig deeper and discern
whether this is really what they’re meant for.
Of course this discerning work can be done at school: « what are my favorite classes, what
are the subjects I really enjoy, or I have a knack for? », but it also has to be done out of
school, whether in the context of the family, or with outside activities and encounters.
Close relatives have a very important role to play, as they are well-placed to observe the
youngster’s predispositions since infancy; but families must be careful to respect those
predispositions, and not push harder than necessary their kid into a field she or he doesn’t
like.
Family and Teachers should also allow youngsters to explore all fields of work; in my case, I
was lucky that my mother was open-minded enough to « let me approach the fireplace » as
we say, which means « get into the kitchen", something regarded as unsuitable for boys in
the Togolese traditional society. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a chef today.
There’s no denying that when I finished my 3 year’s training at IBM, I didn’t validate any
vocational bachelor degree because I had refused to take theoretical classes from the start.
But I did receive a certificate for the practical part, and in my case, it did the job!
What I mean to say, is that aiming at degrees and diplomas for their own sake, is pointless…
It’s is much more relevant, and crucial, to know what your real incentive is; in my case, my
motivation was_ and still is_ « how to satisfy people, how to make their life better with my
cuisine? ».
Today it’s exactly what I do; proof, if need be, that it is not the diploma that makes the
professional…
S: According to you, what are the required assets to succeed in life?
J: First and foremost, I insist that I regard myself as still on my way to achievement, that I did
not achieve anything yet… Now regarding your question:
- First, I’d say respect; respect for everyone, the great and the humble alike. An African
saying goes « You never know who is who ». Respect opens doors, it’s probably key to
my success. I remember a case in point: while I was working in my first hotel in Burkina
Faso, a man showed up poorly dressed, his clothes tattered with dust, at the reception
desk. The hotel was a smart place, and he was quickly and unceremoniously asked to go
somewhere else, which he did in an hotel a little further down the street. It is only later that
we learnt that he was the contractor of a very big construction site nearby, and that he
was coming back from a hard day’s work on field. That night, he nevertheless came back
for dinner (we had the only decent cuisine around), well-dressed and all, the staff hardly
recognized him. He left a very good tip when he left, including for the receptionist. The
whole staff was ashamed, and we justly got lectured about that episode. I never forgot it.
- To have clearly-defined objectives; get information about the trade you want to ply, read
about or meet those who succeeded in the field, always be curious. When one stops
being curious about his field of expertise, it is bad omen. Be humble enough to ask for
advice.
- To have ambition, but within the boundaries of one’s capacities. Accepting to start from
the bottom, to go up progressively; our youth doesn’t know how to be patient anymore.
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8. - Honesty, integrity. An African saying goes like this: « if you don’t know where you’re
headed to, at least keep in mind where you come from ». Beware of shortcuts. If you
succeed using the wrong methods, or skullduggery, eventually you won’t be proud of
yourself and won’t enjoy the success you’ve stolen.
- Never doubt your abilities: when people talk you down, saying that « you dream too
big », don’t heed them. Only you can decide what you want, or don’t want to do. Some
people will try to hinder you, but if you’re strong enough, their attempts will only boost
you.
Once I will have continued further on my journey through life , I will be able to complete that
list.
S: If you could change something in the Togolese schooling system, what would it be?
J: To be honest, there are many things I would change…
First and foremost, I am persuaded that it is way too late to consider career orientation just
before high-school graduation; this should be done as soon as one enters middle school. As
a matter of fact, not all classes are necessary to all pupils, but if they are associated with a
big coefficient, they might discourage or even be a source of failure for some youngsters. In
my experience, studies would ideally be tailored to each student as soon as possible.
Then, another issue is the absence of grade-repeating; as a result, some youngsters will go
up one grade after another, but then get stuck at high-school graduation because in reality,
they don’t have the abilities required. Repeated attempts to high-school graduation tend to
undermine one’s self-confidence, and represent a financial burden for the family; but the
young boy or girl will keep trying again and again, because everybody’s telling them that
high-school graduation is what they need. Youngsters in this kind of situation need a
different school itinerary, according to their real centers of interest and yearning.
Eventually, we need more real school stipends. Each year, the government votes a
scholarships budget, but the amounts and the way they are alloted, render the whole
process pointless. There is a black market for stipends, in which poorer students actually
sell their subsidies to richer ones, whose families can afford the costs related to long-terme
studies. In my opinion, scholarships should not consist of the partial covering of school fees,
but of real packages including traveling and housing costs.
S: Should you succeed in life, have you ever thought of how you could reach back and
help those from your native environment? If yes, how would you do that?
J: Well, I have already given a lot of thought to that question...
While I was unemployed, I had lots of free time on my hands, so I thought that instead of
doing nothing, I could share my passion and knowledge with people. I started cooking
classes for ladies of the local community, the most popular of which was bakery class. It
was an incredibly rewarding experience, so since then, I’ve been thinking that I could step it
up a notch and some day _ who knows?_ create my own culinary training center.
This way I would be able to share my skills, but above all, to change my compatriots’
minds when it comes to cooking; indeed, today the common understanding is that
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9. cooking is for women, and that it is pointless to put too much effort into it, since quantity
prevails upon quality).
My fellow citizens need to hear another kind of message; for my part I am working on
developing an « Afro-fusion style » cuisine, and also on taking our local products into the
light; for instance, in Togo we have our own kind of spinach, green beans, eggplants,
basilic… All of them taste differently compared to their European counterparts; I wish other
countries would discover and appreciate them.
When I participate farm products fairs and other culinary events, I never fail to mention
where I come from, and very often tag #.228togo. I want to make our cuisine a reason for
national pride, and use it to promote Togo abroad. There’s no denying that on the map,
Togo looks really small and insignificant… but I have faith in my country, and I believe that
with my culinary talent, I can put it into light better than any number of politicians!
Food brings people together; they can fight, but in front of a good dinner made out of rice
and fish (I’ve thought it over, and came to the conclusion that those were the most
universally appreciated ingredients), everyone puts their quarrels aside and sit around the
table. In English-speaking countries, it is also said that a good deal is made around a good
meal… We could do Amnesty International thanks to cooking!
To me, those aspects are essential, and I know it will be a lengthy and arduous process, but
I set up my mind to doing it anyway.
But first, I have to start here in Togo: help my co-citizens accept that a country does not only
make the headlines because of its politics or conflicts, because of its football team or
musical bands… No one pays attention to gastronomy, it has no sponsor, so the young
chefs or chefs-to-be have to go abroad to be able develop their talent.
It’s a shame, since cooking has so much to offer!
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Inspire 2019 - Alex et Sara Baudoux