immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

Syrian Women: Kitchen and Founder Owner

syrian women: The women, who came from Syria as part of the federal government sponsorship program for refugees, were housed for months in hotels with no access to a kitchen to prepare food for their families, according to Guelph Mercury. The Newcomer Kitchen in Toronto is the brainchild of Len Senater, founder and owner of The Depanneur, which hosts pop-up food events and workshops. Chopped onions bring a tear to the eye, the scents of lemon and mint mingle in the air, and amid the clatter of utensils and pots is the sound of happy chatter as Syrian women discuss combining the ingredients for yalanji — stuffed grape leaves — and gossip a little. When he heard about the plight of the refugee families, he decided to open his kitchen to them to cook and enjoy communal meals. The young couple, government-sponsored refugees from Sweida in Syria, did social work in their native country and worked as interpreters in refugee camps in Turkey. It wasn't easy to connect with the Syrian women until Rahaf Alakbani and her husband Esmaeel Abofakher became volunteers and then co-ordinators with the Newcomer Kitchen project. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.