I met Dwight Turner before I came to Thailand.

He had mentioned, “if you ever come to Bangkok, let me know!”

A few months later, I landed in Bangkok.

Dwight and I have been great friends ever since, our passion for searching for and eating delicious food has always been a part of our friendship.

Along with being a food lover, Dwight has a passion for helping others.

He’s the founder of In Search of Sanuk, a volunteer charity organization based in Bangkok.

Throughout years of hanging out and bumming around Bangkok, I’ve had the joy of occasionally helping out and supporting Dwight in a variety of his projects.

His latest project revolves around the kitchen!

Before you continue reading, press play to watch the video now (it will give you a better understanding of this project).

(If you can’t see the video, watch it here: http://youtu.be/aD3R6uTxvPg)

For the longest time living in Thailand, neither Dwight nor I ever had a kitchen – if you rent a budget apartment in Thailand – there are usually no kitchen facilities.

It wasn’t until recently, when I got married and moved into a house (and that means there’s a kitchen), and Dwight also moved into a house, where he had a full kitchen facility available.

With a kitchen at hand, Dwight came up with “The Courageous Kitchen Project (โครงการครัวภูมิใจ), where he, along with some others (there are a number of chefs that have come to teach some dishes), teach disadvantaged kids to cook.

What could be better than the combination of helping others with food?

Not only do the kids learn about ingredients, recipes, and kitchen safely, but they also gain life skills like how to make plans, follow directions, and learn about proper nutrition.

When I got back to Bangkok from my latest trip, I was excited to hang out with Dwight, and spend an evening with one of his cooking classes.

After going over a recipe and planning the meal for the evening, Dwight gave the kids some money, and we headed off to the local neighborhood market to buy the ingredients they needed.

When we arrived home, the kids got straight to work, some of them preparing a refreshing watermelon passion fruit juice (Dwight’s very own secret recipe), and others began chopping up the chilies and garlic and washing the basil for the main dish.

It didn’t take long for the delicious aroma of stir frying pork and garlic to fill the room, along with plenty of excitement and fun.

When the food was ready, the kids set the table, and even took care to present the dishes in the most appealing and delicious way.

I thought it was incredible to see this group of kids, who all come from backgrounds of disadvantaged families, working together as a team to prepare dinner.

And even more than learning to cook great food, I could see the kids getting a boost of self confidence.

Dwight is doing a great job of helping make a difference in their lives and investing in their future.

For more specific details about The Courageous Kitchen project, click here.

The need…

The reality is this: Dwight is paying the rent for housing and living costs, not only for the kids he is teaching, but for their entire families and other disadvantaged families as well.

We need your help.

I’m writing about this and asking for your help, because this is a project that I’m supporting and I believe in too.

Even a small contribution will help (and you’ll be investing in the future of disadvantaged kids).

I can personally vouch that I fully stand behind Dwight’s projects, and that any money you donate will go directly into helping disadvantaged families in Thailand.

One of the original kids Dwight helped out years ago (who I know as well), went from having nothing and little hope for the future, to being on his way to a college degree in engineering.

In Search of Sanuk is doing things to make a difference (and I’ve seen the results).

Make a donation here.

Thank you!
Mark