“My mum was sick and my dad had to go to work. He taught us how to cook and that’s how I became a chef.”
Eleven-year-old vegan chef Omari McQueen, along with “maths whisperer” Francis Elive are two heroes to restore your faith in human nature.
South London-born Omari was just eight when he started his own business, Dipalicious, selling vegan dips and snacks.
It isn’t just his first steps towards an empire that are so uplifting. It is also the magnificent way in which he represents himself.
While so many exasperated parents are forced to switch off the wi-fi or confiscate Xboxes or PS4s, Omari can be found in the kitchen, educating himself. “I’ve got dyslexia so I find it difficult to read food labels,” he said.
“Sometimes I smell the ingredients before I know what they are. When I was learning to read, I used cookbooks to help me remember words.”
At a time when so much about our kids these days is negative, Omari and his response to adversity are a breath of fresh air. “I was beaten up at school by a boy in Year 8,” he said.
“I started to feel sorry for him because stuff might be going on at home. He told me he was sorry. I wanted to help him and thought maybe I could teach him to start a business.”
Omari – who now runs cooking workshops for other children – could teach us adults a thing or two about how to inspire the next generation.
So too could Francis. I benefited from several amazing teachers at school but I’d have loved to have been guided by him.
Francis enabled his entire class of 30 kids to achieve A* GCSE grades six months early. Described as “the maths whisperer” because of his reserved demeanour, his is the can-do attitude we want our children to live by.
At a time when education is so underfunded, leaving teachers demoralised, I’d imagine it is not just the kids at Fitzalan High School in Cardiff inspired by Francis.
He and Omari are leaders in their field.
