Chef Failatu Abdul Razak got emotional as she opened up about the motivation behind her recent Guinness World Record (GWR) cook-a-thon attempt.
She revealed that in addition to the 120-plus hours of cooking, the attempt was for her loved ones, the people who supported her in her lowest and also saw her in her lowest self who kept on believing in her.
“Wonderful people. I will go into their offices, knock on their door, and tell them, I’m not looking for money to buy clothes, I’m not looking for money to buy wigs. I’m looking out for the kind of family I shouldn’t get,” she noted.
While in tears, Chef Faila further stated that the attempt was to look out for the brothers and sisters she did not get in her own family.
“I’m looking for an opportunity to have a history and peace in my family. To change the story about my family, about the north, the vilification we young girls from that side of this country have gone through that we cannot see on camera,” an emotional Chef Faila said.
She noted that from the 120-hour mark till when she completed her cook-a-thon at 227 hours and some minutes, those hours were dedicated to all those people and she was willing to go on and on.
“From that 120 till 227 and some minutes was in honor of all those people and I was willing to go on and on to die in that kitchen for them. If I died, I would be so proud of myself in my grave with what I did wholeheartedly,” she said.
“No force from anyone. Not my team. Not the doctors. Not the medical team. Not any form of motivation that anybody brought to me in terms of cash. No, it was to honor all the people who believed in me and kept me going this far. This is for them,” she further added.
She revealed that there were times when her feet and her hands went numb but she was still cooking.
Also, Chef Faila disclosed that she was tested at 145 parasites for malaria but she stood in there for a purpose and she is glad for the results of that purpose today.
Talking About Growing Up
Cook-a-thon contender, Chef Faila shared about her parents and her early years growing up in Tamale.
She revealed that both parents took care of her and along the line, her mum passed on, adding that she had to stay back and take care of her siblings at home while her dad went out to look for food for the family.
“Well, I was more than 18 so that was okay,” she noted.
Speaking about her education, she had no one in her family who was on top to hold her hand to be educated, so the small opportunity she had to help herself, she grabbed it and here she is today.
“At my University level, I got a degree from UDS, Wa Campus. I attended Business Secondary school and I also attended Kamina Basic Schools, from nursery to JHS,” she said.
She further disclosed that of all the dreams she had wanted to come to reality, she always mentioned that she would own an eatery because she would never leave her cooking skills aside.
Faila claimed that she resigned from working with the Bank Of Africa because she had much interest in cooking.
Chef Faila also established that she met her husband, Captain Reginald Agyei, when he was on patrol duties, adding that she disguised herself.
“An uncle told them that he had a daughter who had an eatery and the way the armed robbers are they should try and pass by and make sure the place is safe sometimes when they are on patrols. Believe me, when he even got there, I disguised myself and said I was a waitress,” she said.
The cook-a-thon contender further explained that she disguised herself because she believed that in finding love, she wanted to be loved for who she was and not what she was but her workers gave her out along the line.
Explaining how she realized her husband was the one for her, she noted that her husband cried over her because someone was trying hard to get her attention, adding that her friends endorsed him for her.
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