This archive report was first published on 22 April 2020.
As the world grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, people have been forced to find creative ways to stay home and stay safe. For Kennedy Leparan, a self-taught chef, this has been an opportunity to perfect his cooking skills and share them with others.
With the support of his wife, Cyprine Keriga, Leparan has been experimenting with new recipes and posting them on social media under the hashtag #stayathomeandcook. Their goal is to encourage people to stay home and try out new recipes, rather than eating out at restaurants.
"My wife and I have always had the idea of sharing our cooking with people," Leparan explains. "The idea of using YouTube mainly came up during this Covid-19 pandemic period. People are not eating at their favourite restaurant because they have to stay at home and maintain social distance so as to avoid the virus. We thought, we should share recipes on social media so that people can be able to cook, experiment on new recipes and even keep busy during this time."
With the help of his wife, who mainly does the videos, Leparan has been able to share their passion for cooking with a wider audience. Their YouTube channel, Leparan's Kitchen, has gained a significant following, and they have received a lot of support from their audience.
"It's been an interesting journey," Leparan says. "We are grateful that we have received a lot of support from our audience. We are happy that our passion is impactful."
Despite the challenges of working with a toddler, Leparan's family is enjoying spending more time together during this time. His son is even learning to cook and is very observant in the kitchen.
"It is actually fun having him around," Leparan points out. "He is very observant and when we are all seated minding our own business, he will start replicating whatever he saw in the kitchen. I guess he will cook very well when he grows up."
As the pandemic continues, Leparan and his wife plan to continue sharing their recipes and cooking skills with others. They encourage people to follow them on social media and try out their recipes.
"Follow us on IG: @Leparan, Facebook @ Leparan's Kitchen and subscribe to our YouTube channel: Leparan's Kitchen," Leparan concludes.
