Fusion Cooking (Irish-Pakistani Food Ingredients) is a cooking course which is introduced by Cork City Partnership Clg. (CCP) in 2022 at Knocknaheeny Community Building, Foyle Avenue, Cork. Cork City Partnership is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on the education, employment and empowerment of individuals and communities who are experiencing disadvantage and social exclusion through the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) in Cork City 2018 – 2023. One of the Goals of SICAP is to support disadvantaged individuals to improve the quality of their lives through the provision of lifelong learning and labour market support. As part of its measures to meet this goal Cork City Partnership is delivering and supporting community education courses this term, in communities across the City.
Initial workshops /cooking demonstrations were introduced in late 2022. From Feb 2023, this course is started fully for six weeks. Fahmeda Naheed, originally from Pakistan and lives in Cork has introduced the Fusion Cooking course. Fahmeda Naheed holds several academic degrees, including an M.Phil from UCC, Certification in Mental Health in Communities from UCC and Policing and Human Rights Law in Ireland from the University of Limerick. Fahmeda Naheed is a former Graduate Intern for Diversity, Executive Officer, An Garda Siochana, Regional Office, Anglesea Street, Cork, Ireland. She writes for Garda Review Magazine. She is an Ambassador of Schools of Sanctuary.
Fahmeda Naheed is currently working with Doras on SALAAM Project. She is a registered teacher with the Teaching Council of Ireland. She worked in different capacities and roles as a trainer, Intercultural Dialogue facilitator, translator/interpreter, community and researcher and has a few publications. She remained involved in a number of projects for migrants and integration, including running diversity recruitment campaigns for An Garda Síochána, political participation of migrants in Ireland, training projects; policy initiatives, providing training on Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, campaigns involving schools, and college students in raising awareness on diversity issues through public speaking, research and writing projects.
Through Fusion Cooking, Fahmeda uses Pakistani and Irish ingredients to make dishes. This is a unique programme of its own nature and the first time ever introduced at this level.
