The campaigner who likes to cook

The campaigner who likes to cook

Majeda Khouri is a foodie with a mission. Or, more precisely, an activist who likes to cook.

She combines the two in the London-based Syrian Sunflower, the social enterprise she set up as she re-made her life after fleeing civil war.

She was apart from her husband and two children, had nowhere to live and as an asylum seeker was barred from working. She spoke little English, and understood less — “people seemed to be talking so fast.

“So I would put earphones on for almost 24 hours a day until I got familiar with the British accent.”

She imported that determination, drive and energy from Syria, where she practised as an architect and, after the outbreak of conflict, became a rights activist. She was detained and witnessed and documented human rights abuses, especially against women and children.

In the UK an early breakthrough came when she met a woman from Migrateful (“In-person cookery classes in London: join us in a journey of flavour and cultural stories while mastering authentic global recipes”): “She asked me, ‘Can you teach me to cook?’”

That led to Khouri doing cookery classes for 15-20 women. But though she loves food, her real interest was the opportunities it opened up for conversations. She was particularly concerned to challenge and change negative ideas about refugees.

“I told the British women attending the classes] about women in Syria, how they became refugees, how they used their skills, about their bravery, about how they took responsibility, especially those who fled with children after their husbands had been killed or detained.”

This food-and-talk tactic blossomed after she was officially granted asylum: “I needed a job. Because I have these skills and people like my food, I did a lot of supper clubs and Sunday lunches”, introducing people to Syrian food.

Another group, Terrn (The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network], helped her acquire the know-how to establish a company, and switched her onto the idea of a social enterprise because “I wanted not just a business, but to help other women with a refugee background.

“At the same time I was hearing from Londoners and other British people that refugees were ‘taking our taxpayers money’.” So later she was able to offer jobs to women in Syrian Sunflower. She taught women how to register their own kitchen business and translated Health and Safety rules into Arabic: “I had got the experience, so I transferred it to them.”

Syrian Sunflower now caters for corporate events and weddings. The events have included a meal for 2,000 in Italy (“I didn’t sleep for three days”) and party food for the reopening of the Museum of Migration in London.

She also gives refugee women tips on integrating into British society.

“I even trained them to take children to parks and to school — not to wait for their husband to do it — because they didn’t have the confidence to go out of the house or use transport.  They were afraid to talk to people.

“It’s odd to think that “as a child and before I married, I didn’t enter the kitchen unless I wanted to eat or drink.

“An interest in cookery only came when I had kids and I wanted them to be healthy and didn’t want to give them any processed food. It was never in my mind that cooking will be my job, until I came to the UK. But it was a good skill.

“Now, through cooking, I share my beautiful culture and tell the untold stories of Syria.”

And fortunately, she adds, “Londoners want to try everything, all kinds of food.”