Abebea Behraki, our Eritrean Chef and Barista lived through 27 years in a Sudanese refugee camp, with little opportunities. In 2017 she was able to move to Tasmania with the goal of finding stable employment. This was a struggle as she arrived with no English. “When I came to Tasmania, Australia in 2017 I had no english, just a few abcd’s, but through talking talking talking, I started at Tas Tafe”
In an interview with ABC News, Abebea said “When I get certificate one and I studied English, I’m asking people how to get the job, how to make the resume.”
Abebea found work with the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) during Covid to help prepare over 1200 meals per day, at $2.50
Abebea’s interview with Kitchen Of Dreams revealed that She grew up in a village and started cooking around the age of 13. Her mother worked on a farm, and as the eldest daughter, Abebea cooked for the family: “Small dishes, maybe breakfast, maybe dinner, [we had] no fridge, no anything.”
Abebea provided her first Community Meal on the 25th of June, and started working for Esteem Coffee as a barista in August.
Alongside Esteem Coffee, Abeba has prepared two community meals for upwards of 20 people, and continues to work as a Barista, bringing great food, drink, and bubbly conversation out our space.
Learn more about Abebea Behraki.
ABC News Article
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-10/the-hobart-kitchen-helping-combat-ageism-/100058666
Kitchen Of Dreams
https://www.fortysouth.com.au/kitchen-of-dreams-1?amp=1
ABC News Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlSdXzHg8kc