“Hope for change simmers in the present, in charge of women who are protagonists in building the common good.” This is how the Cookbook with Social Impact begins, designed from our most recent project in the city of Mérida, because for Trabajo y Persona this idea expresses several concepts pertaining to other professions besides gastronomy.

Change in people and their communities resemble those delicious dishes that must be cooked little by little, over low heat. For this reason, it is essential to bear in mind the value of time that plays in favor and not against us, especially when we are tempted to accelerate the processes involved in the stove, without taking into account the risk of “burning” what we are painstakingly preparing.

The beauty of this whole process is that it occurs over time, but is recognized in the present moment. It is in the now where we build, where we are put at stake and where we can become aware of what we are doing. It is in the present moment when we can recognize the value of something that is greater than all the effort we put into it, which fills reality and the person with meaning. Nourishment is always prepared by the hands of those who wish for the good of others.

Here another factor comes into play that is evident in the kitchen: the value of work. The interaction with each ingredient, from the detail from its selection to the way of preparing and combining them. The relationship between cooks and the dish to be prepared becomes a loving harmony that expresses all their knowledge, their state of mind, and in a way, their own being. In the kitchen, work is evidenced as a relationship between the person and what they have in their hands. This is an experience possible in many other trades as well.

Whoever works with such a conscience, inevitably becomes the protagonist of one’s life and little by little, like good yeast, begins to grow and impact one’s environment. In this way, one becomes someone who fosters that desire to work and to live, permeating one’s family and progressively one’s community. We become protagonists of a common good.

Finally, hope, although a gift from God, is also found within each person, so it is up to each one to recognize it, verify its relevance, and finally, make it our own. But to have certainty about the future (hope), it is necessary to take a personal journey that allows us to have certainty in the present.

Hope for simmering change is possible because we can increasingly recognize in the present people who live as protagonists of their lives.