From tossing tabbouleh to stuffing baclava — Safaa Naman is bringing her Middle-Eastern favorites to Victoria.
“I love to cook,” said Naman. “It’s a good way to give back to this great and supportive community.”
Syriana Catering was launched earlier this year as Safaa’s passion project and has already garnered a strong following on social media. She operates out of a limited kitchen in her family’s rental suite.
Her two teenage boys and husband act as line cooks in the family operation. Part of the reason why Safaa started the business was to have a steady reminder of where her and family came from. Her recipes and a family photo album are all that remain from their home in Syria, as the family was forced to leave due to the civil war.
“It destroyed almost everything,” said Safaa. “Our dreams, our houses, relationships…everything.”
Four years ago, however, hope resurfaced as the family arrived in Victoria via Canadian sponsorship. Safaa studied English at Camosun College, and, with her accounting background, found full-time work with RBC.
Fadi, Safaa’s husband, used his stone and marble cutting experience to find employment at a Victoria countertop company and also launched his own marble and granite import business. Both Fadi and Safaa work seven days a week.
“When you work hard, this community realizes that and they support you more,” said Safaa.
It’s been an emotional ride and Safaa says her family couldn’t have made it without plenty of support.
“What I love in Canada and Victoria….When you feel you need help, you need hand, they run just to push you and give you that hand to be better, to get better,” said Safaa, whose RBC coworkers helped provide her catering company’s business cards.
Safaa plans to expand into a commercial kitchen and dreams of opening a small restaurant. Despite war taking everything they had, Safaa and her family are proving that hard work, resilience and hope are universal ingredients for success.
“We can have big dreams like in this city, with our big Canadian family, we will be there very soon.”
Kevin Charach
