Itjaz, who is of Pakistani descent, plans to use his knowledge of Eastern spices to create a vegan restaurant for everyone. Vahid from Iran dreams of opening his own restaurant, where Greek, Persian, and Arabic flavors will be harmoniously combined.
For many refugees and immigrants in Greece, the restaurant industry is the field in which they want to work or even start their own business. Itjaz and Vahid are two aspiring entrepreneurs who hope to make their dream come true.
«The majority of refugees and immigrants find work in catering and tourism, mainly because these two sectors do not require such advanced language skills,» Anastasia Sikiaridi, head of integration and employment programs at IRC Hellas, explained to APE-MPE. «The idea of opening restaurants keeps coming up in business training programs, mainly because refugees and immigrants have professional experience in the restaurant industry, in Greece and their own countries, but also because many peoples share a common culture with the Greeks when it comes to food,» adds Ms. Sikiaridi.
IRC Hellas, in collaboration with Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece, is implementing the «Craft your Business» business training program, with the support of the Citi Foundation, which is part of the broader «Resilient Futures» program. «Resilient Futures» is being implemented in Greece and six other countries: Germany, Mexico, Cameroon, Nigeria, Lebanon, and Jordan. In Greece, more than 900 asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, and vulnerable Greeks aged 18-35 have been supported to date.
In the most recent cycle of the program, eight new individuals from different countries, including Ijaz and Wahid, after completing two educational cycles of the business training program «Craft your Business,» presented their ideas in an entrepreneurship competition (Pitching Competition) before a jury of professionals from the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In the competition, participants compete for a symbolic cash prize and personalized support to implement their idea. Vahid was awarded for his idea, and Ijaz received very positive comments and the support of the judges for finding funding.
Vahid Hariri has been living in Greece for the past two and a half years. When he left his homeland of Iran, he decided to leave behind his career as a car mechanic. In Greece, he started working in restaurant kitchens and realized that this was the right place for him. So, he decided to design his own restaurant, where he would offer traditional Greek dishes, such as moussaka and stuffed vegetables, as well as Persian flavors and Arabic dishes. «I feel that customers in Athens need a restaurant like this, and when you meet someone's needs, you feel that you are adding value to those around you,» he tells APE-MPE. When he learned about the business training program, he explains, he decided to participate in order to learn more about the business world and make his dream a reality.
It was his knowledge of business that prompted Itjaz Ahmed, or Angelos as his friends call him, to take part in the same program. Itzhak was born in Greece, but since his parents are from Pakistan, he knows a lot about Eastern spices. «In Pakistan and India, the majority of the population is vegan, not by choice, but because meat is expensive, so they have developed this cuisine using many spices,» he explains.
He is familiar with the restaurant business, having worked in it for the last few years. So he decided to open his own vegan restaurant, which will cater to everyone and focus above all on healthy eating. «I have many vegan friends, and the problem when we meet is how to find a restaurant that will make us all happy,» he notes. The restaurant, he adds, will be designed with eco-friendly solutions, will use as little plastic as possible, and the furniture will be made from recycled pallets. «It's not just a business idea, it's more of a way of expressing myself, because all small businesses reveal something about the character of their owners,» he says.
The Resilient Futures program consists of two pillars: career counseling and entrepreneurship. Career counseling is personalized and includes mapping the beneficiary's needs and developing an action plan for finding employment. The second pillar, «Craft your Business,» is a training program on the basic principles of entrepreneurship.
As Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, head of IRC Hellas, points out, «In the context of refugee flows, on the one hand there is a need for asylum and reception, and on the other hand there is a need to integrate people who come to the new society. An important part of the integration process is labor integration. IRC, with its international experience in integration issues, decided to launch such programs. However, we do not forget that there are also needs in terms of reception and asylum.».
According to data provided by Anastasia Sikiaridi, approximately 500 people have received support as part of the entrepreneurship training program, resulting in 40 business ideas. However, she adds that «the results of the program cannot be measured solely in numbers. The beneficiaries are beginning to think in terms of entrepreneurship, which is difficult, especially when you are an immigrant or refugee trying to survive and become financially independent in a new country. They also develop many soft skills, such as the concepts of teamwork, goal setting, and empowerment.».
Maria Kouzinopoulou
