In partnership with Defy

Meet Aqeel Narsigadu. He grew up in a few places but mostly in Woodstock and Mitchells Plain. He has spent his life moving around, from one place to another, to be with his late mother. She was always on the go and never really had her own space. After she passed away, Aqeel went to visit his grandmother in Woodstock and eventually ended up living there through most of his high school years, but has since moved to Mitchells Plain and assists his aunt with her guesthouse, doing various chores to help out.

He is currently completing his internship at Den Anker in the V&A Waterfront. What he loves most about working there is how kind the staff are and loves that everyone is a different age, has different skills and the most interesting life stories. It is because of this teamwork and great environment, that he is able to work more efficiently. He feels constantly motivated by simply watching everyone in the kitchen and hopes to be a head chef someday!

Like the rest of his class, Aqeel is super excited about the new Defy kitchen! “The new demo kitchen will allow us to create our very own masterpieces to share with the world,” he says. “This kitchen could potentially help us get a get a better feel of a kitchen space and boost our confidence! Thank you, Defy!”