Leonard Kaposho's story

There is nothing impossible on earth. 

Leonard Kaposho's story is of determination in the face of opposition and loss. The first test of Leonard's determination came in 1967, when he was just 11. He wanted to become a cook, but in Burundi it was seen as woman's work, and his four brothers teased him endlessly. Leonard didn't let that stop him: aged just 12, he went off to catering school. As a young man, he cooked for academics in their homes. Meanwhile, he saved up his earnings, so that he could go to Egypt and learn to cook western dishes.

Back in Burundi, the second test of Leonard's determination was much greater. The country was seething with tension between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes, but Leonard fell in love with a woman on the other side of the divide. His friends and community were appalled; he was seen as a traitor. But Leonard and Françoise were in love. They married and had ten children together. Leonard's tests of determination were only just beginning, though. Tribal tensions were boilingover. It got to the stage where Françoise had to hide away at friends' houses every night to avoidattacks. On the night that her little restaurant was torched, Leonard realised the family was notsafe. They fled to a UN camp in Uganda.

Surviving in the camp was very hard, and Leonard was surrounded by hundreds of people, all lookingfor work. Determined once again, he asked for a chance to prove himself as a chef by cooking at the Volcanoes Safaris office in Kampala. Of course, Leonard was well equipped for such a test, and everybody loved his food. After two weeks, he was invited to come and work permanently at BwindiLodge.

Life immediately felt more secure for Leonard. He could rent a house in Kampala and look after hisfamily. Leonard had learnt French in Burundi, and Volcanoes Safaris taught him English so that he could present his menus to guests personally. Doing this gave him great pride, but the proudest moment of Leonard's career came in December 2008, when he prepared Christmas dinner for Rahm Emanuel, US President Obama's Chief of Staff.

Leonard has come a long way from those dark and dangerous times he suffered with Françoise in the war and the refugee camp. Looking back on it all, he reflects simply:"There is nothing impossible on earth."