Celebrity Chef Amrita Raichand appointed as Health Ambassador for Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Preventive Health Education Programme

Mumbai: Celebrity chef, super mom, and also former model Amrita Raichand has taken on a new role as Health Ambassador for the NGO Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Preventive Health Education Programme, to bring nutrition education to resource-challenged adolescents and their communities in India’s urban slums. This incredible partnership is set to make a real difference in the lives of at-risk adolescents from the urban slums of Mumbai, promoting the importance of healthy living and simple nourishing recipes where it is needed most. By empowering these young people with the knowledge and tools to make healthy choices, Chef Amrita and Salaam Bombay Foundation are paving the way for a brighter, healthier future for all.

A report has shown that malnutrition among children in Mumbai's municipal schools has increased four-fold. Alarmingly, consumption of junk food has also risen. Salaam Bombay Foundation's internal research reveals that an increasing number of children are opting for unhealthy quick meals such as easily accessible oily and unhealthy street foods, with 54% of respondents citing taste as the primary reason for their preference. Further investigation has found that 31% of respondents opt for junk food due to its easy availability. The research also noted that households where both parents work are more inclined towards junk food, with breakfast or school tiffin often being the most common time for consumption. Children are frequently given a daily allowance of Rs. 10-15/- to purchase snacks like biscuits, samosas, or vadas, while others simply carry noodles as part of their tiffin.

Salaam Bombay Foundation's partnership with Chef Amrita Raichand comes at a crucial time, as the demand for accessible and affordable recipes that promote nutritional awareness continues to grow. Together, they aim to bridge the gap by providing easy-to-follow recipes that not only cater to the taste buds but also promote healthy eating habits. Chef Amrita has found a way to elevate our students’ aspirations using affordable and diverse ingredients in creative and easy-to-replicate recipes encouraging them, to experiment with and enjoy global cuisines with what’s available in their kitchens! Chef Amrita is working closely with Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Preventive Health Education Programme to educate resource-challenged adolescents about the importance of proper nutrition and fitness. Additionally, she is working alongside the Foundation's Health Monitors to inspire and engage their communities, with a particular focus on mothers of young students. Together, they are working to promote healthy living and nutrition in a way that is both accessible and enjoyable for all.

Chef Amrita Raichand shares, “Malnutrition is still a massive issue facing the development of children mainly from the underprivileged section of our country. Children in Mumbai’s slums find it that much harder when at best of times both the parents are working. These young children are the future citizens of our country. I am so grateful to be part of Salaam Bombay Foundation to help address this issue through education and conducting cooking workshops for both children and their mothers.”

Speaking on the association, Nandina Ramchandran, CEO – Salaam Bombay Foundation, says, “I applaud Chef Amrita’s passion for not just whipping up creative recipes, but also for taking the message of healthy eating on a budget to resource-challenged communities. It was amazing to see Chef Amrita create mouth-watering recipes for adolescents and their mothers with the most economical of ingredients from within their own kitchens without compromising on nutrition or taste!

With her infectious enthusiasm, Chef Amrita also spoke to the mothers of these young adolescents from resource-challenged communities. Being a mother herself she understands that mothers are the gateway to educating their children about healthy eating habits early on. She brings with her a perfect blend of expertise and approachability.”

The partnership with Chef Amrita comes at a critical juncture as Salaam Bombay Foundation expands the Preventive Health Education Programme and builds School Kitchen Gardens in multiple government and government-aided schools across the country. By providing our students with hands-on learning opportunities, we celebrate this collaboration with Chef Amrita and look forward to the impact we will create together.

Salaam Bombay Foundation takes a multidisciplinary approach for development of 21st century skills among resource-challenged adolescents. Salaam Bombay Foundation started in 2002 to work with 12 to 18 year-old adolescent children growing up in urban slums. These children live in extreme poverty and in “at risk” environments. The municipal schools they go to do not have the resources to give them individual attention, career guidance or access to activities that stimulate the mind.

Many are undernourished and face the risk of substance abuse. They come from financially challenged homes and are pressured to drop out of secondary school and seek jobs to support their families.  Given these ground realities, Salaam Bombay Foundation has harnessed the ability of child-friendly, innovative education tools to develop life skills and coping skills necessary to ensure that these adolescents develop into well rounded personalities, able to meet the challenges they face and take on leadership roles within their communities.

The Foundation keeps children in school by empowering them to make the right choices about their health, education and livelihood thereby ensuring that they can thrive with a bright future. In-school leadership and advocacy programmes equip "at-risk" adolescents with the life skills they need to lead change. The Sports, Arts and Media academies encourage them to express themselves and provide performance opportunities that build self-esteem. The skills@school programme broadens their career horizons and empowers them with vocational skills for sustainable careers. Through its DreamLab initiative, SBF, has provided for a continuum of skills training and market-based internships to youngsters in the age group of 14 and 18 years. Launched in July 2019, DreamLab, has been able to furnish stipend-based internships to hundreds of skills@school alumni across nine job sectors.

DreamLab also creates a talent pool of grassroot entrepreneurial adolescents. Salaam Bombay initiatives increase confidence, give vulnerable adolescents the means to earn part-time and stay in school, and provide the tools to explore their full potential.

Through the different academies at Salaam Bombay Foundation, we work on the key areas under CSR Schedule VII - Preventive Health, Mental Wellbeing, Vocational Skills, Sports, Arts, and Media for the resource-challenged adolescents from government and government-aided schools.

Amrita is an award-winning Chef where her skills got her recognised by the International Magazine Tatler Magazine, which rated her amongst the top seven food hostesses in the globe, alongside legends like Nigella Lawson and Rachel Ray. Last year, in August the Ministry of Culture recognized her as the Culinary Ambassador for India. During the pandemic, the Ministry of Health requested Amrita to be a kind of spokesperson for the state of Jharkhand where she took out videos encouraging the community to take the vaccine. Amrita has a weekly show on Radio One called “Beyond the Plate”.  Amrita has done three Ted talks and endorsed numerous brands across her social presence, besides winning pretty much every culinary award there is to win on Indian TV.