Press release: Garrets International and Sailors’ Society scholarship enables student to pursue career at sea

Date: 05 July 2018

An aspiring chef has been selected as the second beneficiary of a maritime education scholarship co-funded by Sailors’ Society and Garrets International, and administered by Homer Foundation.

Kristina Camatoy, 18, from Quezon in The Philippines, was awarded the scholarship to train at the Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) in Manila. The Sailors’ Society – Homer Foundation Scholarship enables Filipino students from underprivileged backgrounds to pursue culinary careers in the shipping industry.

Kristina said: “This scholarship will serve as a stepping stone for me to become a successful chef on board a ship, see the world and secure a stable job that will help me to extend my hand for my family. I’m so grateful to Garrets International and Sailors’ Society for this opportunity to fulfil my dream and reach my full potential as a chef.”

Garrets International, the leading provisions and stores management partner to the global shipping community, and maritime charity Sailors’ Society will provide funding to support Kristina’s living costs for the duration of the one-year course.

Sandra Welch, Sailors’ Society’s deputy CEO and director of programme, said: “Like Sailors’ Society and Homer Foundation, Garrets International is committed to improving welfare and providing opportunities for careers at sea. We are delighted Garrets has agreed to co-fund the Sailors’ Society – Homer Foundation Scholarship  in the Philippines for another year and are very grateful for their ongoing support”.

The Philippines has one of the largest rich-poor divides in South East Asia. MIHCA courses give young people an opportunity to gain recognised training credentials and embark on a seafaring career.

Students must demonstrate a desire to work at sea for three years following completion of the course. The training also prepares students to work on land in the hospitality industry when their seafaring careers are over.

Sailors’ Society, which is celebrating 200 years of supporting seafarers and their families, offers a variety of scholarships and grants under its nautical education programme. For more information, email scholarships@sailors-society.org or visit: https://www.sailors-society.org/ourprojects/nautical-education/.

About Garrets International

Garrets provides a better standard of living at sea. Being the leading provision and stores management partner, we serve more than 1,700 vessels around the world with high focus on quality based on an agreed daily rate.

We guide each vessel via healthy menu planning, offer cookbooks for every crew nationality, perform on-board galley audits and provide training programs for chefs. With our global purchasing power, we support substantial logistic cost savings for our customers handling their spare parts in co-operation with our global logistics partners.

Garrets is your partner at sea. For more information, please visit www.garrets.com.

About Homer Foundation

Established in 1999, Homer Foundation, Inc. is a non-stock non-profit organization that aims to identify and address the socio-economic challenges of the Filipino seafarers, their families and communities in general.

“We Care” is HFI’s guiding principle in improving the quality of life of the communities where the foundation serves. HFI, in cooperation with partners, sponsors and support from individuals, various organizations and volunteers in the private and public sectors, promotes meaningful projects in Education, Volunteerism, Disaster Relief and Rebuilding, Health and Wellness, and Environment.

Homer Foundation, Inc. is the corporate social responsibility arm of Magsaysay Group of Companies.

About Sailors’ Society

Sailors’ Society has been bringing people together for 200 years, transforming the lives of seafarers and their families at home, in port and at sea through the delivery of chaplaincy, education and the relief of poverty and distress.

The charity works internationally to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support to the world’s 1.6m seafarers, regardless of background or faith. Sailors’ Society chaplains and ship visitors have a presence in 91 global ports, with wider projects and services covering 30 countries.