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This KEDGE graduate is travelling around Europe in a food truck to help refugees.
When doctors diagnosed her with breast cancer at the age of 27, Alix Gerbet (ESC 2013) decided to throw herself into her own kind of adventure. And so in 2016, she joined an organisation called LE RECHO.
After a placement year in Paris at Procter & Gamble, Alix went on a university exchange to India. ‘Those six intense months convinced me of the need to work in a place that was right for me’, she tells us. Sympathising with the food industry’s values of exchange, conviviality, and sharing, she naturally decided to lean towards this sector upon her return to France. After spending three years in a food events company (Apetit Communication), she accepted an exciting opportunity with L’atelier des Chefs in May 2015. There, she was responsible for developing marketing campaigns and giving culinary advice to stakeholders in the food-processing industry.
In April 2016, Alix, then aged 27, learnt that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer, for which she underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
‘When I was diagnosed with the disease, I discovered LE RECHO through L’atelier des Chefs, which has been a partner of the organisation since its creation. I had long wanted to work with a charity and give my time...especially in the current political climate, which is pretty grim, pretty tense, really pretty gloomy! The disease made me want to get involved, to take action, to keep my spirits up, and do something good.’
Today, she has conquered the disease, but remains committed to her work for RECHO.
What is LE RECHO?
LE RECHO is an organisation run by women (cooks, artists, communications experts) aiming to create links between people through food.
‘We travel the roads of Europe in a food truck, visiting refugee camps to cook for and with them in partnership with local organisations. We think that food is an excellent way to remind people of the pleasure of sharing, being part of a group, and the desire to be together. Cooking is a universal language, a unifier that offers real opportunities for advancement. Today, there are 35,000 catering jobs available in France’, Alix says.
Last August, the charity completed its first mission for refugees at the Linière refugee camp in Grande-Synthe, distributing no less than 10,500 vegetarian meals (to cater to religious requirements), and ran over 20 cooking workshops, of which 4 were especially for women. Since then, the charity has twice provided meals in Paris, including one event on 25 December, where 500 meals were provided at the Jean Quarré university hospital in the nineteenth arrondissement and distributed to refugees and homeless people in the capital’s streets.
‘Thanks to help from the town of Grande-Synthe, the massive amount of support from volunteers and partners who have worked alongside us, the journalists who have shared our positive and proactive message, and the incredible energy that was implemented in record time to bring to life our crazy idea, together we have also been able to carry out a three-week mission at the Linière refugee camp in Grande-Synthe.’
This desire to help her neighbour is not new: as a member of the BDE during her time at KEDGE Bordeaux (Bem’zai, for those who remember it), Alix was part of the steering committee for the benevolent fund which gave support to students in difficulty.
‘In addition, KEDGE gave me the opportunity to spend six months in India, to see how hard life can be in certain parts of the world. It was this experience that gave me the courage the choose a professional and personal path that was right for me, even though it meant taking the risk of refusing a permanent contract at a major company.’
Her advice for KEDGE graduates and students? ‘When you have motivation you can achieve anything, in your personal and professional lives. Don’t give up! Believe in yourself, listen to what you want, your inner voice is more important than you think.’
If you would like to support the work of Alix and her organisation via a donation, volunteering, a partnership, or in any other way, don’t hesitate to visit her Hello Asso page or contact her via email at the following address: alixgerbet@gmail.com
Congratulations to Alix, and enjoy the journey with RECHO!
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