The kitchen of United Women of East Africa (UWEA) fills with the scent of crackling coffee beans and sizzling sambusas.
Baraka and Bilal uses the kitchen. The women who run the catering company are refugees from East African countries. Through it, they learn how to run a business.
The San Diego Tourism Authority selected the company to be a part of its most recent accelerator cohort to receive services and business training.
The program continues to support the city’s minority-owned businesses, even as the new presidential administration has ended support of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives — and refugees.
“I think the last month has felt a little heavy,” said UWEA Partnerships Manager Bethlehem Degu. “So I think there are some people who are a little bit fearful, maybe feel like they're not accepted. And so maybe they're not wanting to go out.
“And then there's also some people who are coming together and saying, ‘We're going to be resilient. We're not going to be afraid. We're going to be a resource to each other.’”
UWEA, a nonprofit that supports San Diego’s East African community, started the catering company more than 10 years ago. They wanted to support mental health, and the women they serve reported their primary stressor was not having stable income. Their biggest need was an opportunity for self-sufficiency.
Degu said many of the women speak different languages, but food and work brings them together.
“They just have great bonds over the years, and they are able to share resources or just have really good relationships,” she said. “And then they're able to pass down their heritage and how proud they are in their culture to their daughters and their sons.”
President Donald Trump suspended the country’s refugee resettlement program days after he took the oath of office.
Degu said some Americans may not have gotten the chance yet to know people like these women.
“Maybe they don't know how much resilience and joy and how much pride that they have, and they want to give back, and they want to really mix in well and learn about other cultures and people to learn about their culture,” she said. “We're really warm and welcoming people.”
She said food is a great way to build those bridges.
Baraka and Bilal plans to open a cafe in March. They invite San Diegans to get to know their food — and the women who make it.
