Hilda Baci, a Nigerian chef who just set the record for the longest cooking time, revealed that she had been homeless at one point.
This disclosure was revealed by the 26-year-old chef and restaurateur during a recent TVC interview.
Speaking of her historic accomplishment and the recent rise in recognition it brought her, she said;
“I need young women to see that there’s more to them than society’s stereotypes. There’s always that narrative that you can’t make it [without having others] create a platform for you.
“I’m saying this from an informed place because I used to be like that. For me, I needed to keep doing things with myself to show people that they can win as well. You can have a business, start cooking from home, and build that business properly to the point where you can open an outlet, expand that outlet, and branch out. But you need to do your due diligence. It’s not easy.
“Many people see this buzz now and think I dropped from the sky. They didn’t know I was homeless at some point. There’s an entire phase that got me here, and I am not even done.
“Away from all the buzz, I had plans to open a bigger space because we were outgrowing our space and we needed much bigger staff strength. I’m working on a cookware line. There are things and designs I don’t find. Some work for food vendors, home use, and content creators. I need to put a collection together. Nigerian food is so good. I have many students from across the world. I look [forward] to hosting masterclasses.”