Covid-19: A family that cooks together stays home together

There’s no doubt that that coronavirus is still wrecking havoc. With the rapid spread of the disease people have been forced to retreat into their homes, with some setting up work stations in the confines of their space. Whether we love it or hate it, one thing is for sure, there’s a lot of time in our hands and we ought to make the most of it.

In the face of terrifying news and rising anxieties coupled with all the time that we have to spend indoors, immersing yourself into certain activities is a welcome stress reliever. For starters, how about experimenting on all those things that you have always wanted to do, or reviving those passions that you’ve buried following the rhythm of everyday life.

Kennedy Leparan a self taught chef is making the best of this time. With lots of time in his hands, he has taken this as a time to perfect his cooking skills. For Leparan, also a general at a miller company, this is not the first time he is cooking.  The food enthusiast started cooking at the age of seven and absolutely loves it. However, with many other responsibilities on his plate, it has been difficult to keep up with his cooking passion.

Now together with his with Cyprine Keriga, the couple has been trying out new recipes and posting them on social media as a way of encouraging people to stay at home.

“My wife and I have always had the idea of sharing our cooking with people. 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,” he explains.

The father of a toddler started this during the Covid 19 Pandemic with the aim of encouraging people to stay at home. With the support of his wife who mainly does the videos, they have been encouraging people to stay at home through the hashtag #stayathomeandcook and Stay safe #staysafe.

“It’s been an interesting journey, we are grateful that we have received a lot of support from our audience,” he says adding that he is happy that his passion is impactful.

While working with a toddler can be challenging, Leparan’s family is enjoying spending more time with him during this time.

“It is actually fun having him around. 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,” Leparan points out.

The imposed curfew and tough social distancing rules has limited the options in getting supplies. Leparan’s family is no different as they get they are forced to get supplies from their local mama mboga and close by supermarkets. Even so, he is grateful that the cooking has a positive impact on his family.

 “It has brought cohesion as we are all busy working on the same projects. We have learnt more about our strengths,” he says, adding that they are also overwhelmed by their audience feedback.

Asked what his favorite recipe is, Leparan is hesitant to answer.

“Sincerely speaking, I don’t have one specific favourite recipe but if I have to choose, it would be the Fillet mignon with sweet and sour sauce,” he says, adding that the audience has been challenging him to try out new recipes.

“We are encouraging people to stay at home and try out our recipes and we are overwhelmed by the amazing feedback. It is working way better than envisioned. Our audience has a lot of expectations and so we plan to do this even after the pandemic,” he concludes, urging people to follow them on social media.

“Follow us on IG: @Leparan, Facebook @ Leparan’s Kitchen and subscribe to our YouTube channel: Leparan’s Kitchen.”