Many travellers are looking for that special non-touristy travel experience — a taste of real life rather than a contrived tourist spot. 'Cooking with Poo' is exactly that — a chance to see another, very real side of Thailand and its people. It is not just a great cooking adventure, it is also a way to help this wonderful lady as she in turn helps herself and her community. A real feel good story — now captured in this book!
When the idea of writing this book was first suggested we could only hope that this could be a possibility one day in the future. Shortly after this it became really clear that Poo (Saiyuud Diwong) was not just a great cook and a fun loving personality, but also a gifted mentor and trainer. (She has helped 3 other small businesses start, and mentored those neighbours in an empowering way to help them maximize their businesses.) We started to dream about the possibility of using the very successful cooking school as a way of training and developing more men and women from the Klong Toey slum community. Thanks to the amazing support and hard work of many people this dream has become a reality. The hope is that Poo will earn her income from the successful sales of this book, and therefore be not as reliant on income from her cooking school, the result being the opportunity to train others and help them develop meaningful employment. By purchasing this book you are part of this exciting adventure – changing the world one life at a time.
Urban Neighbours of Hope is honoured to know Poo, and to be able to support her in this initiative. We have the immense privilege to share in her journey as she changes her world and that of those around her.
