When talking about food, Rita Khanchat says she loves the ability of food to gather everyone, and that food has the power to create communities and bring people together and show love, irrespective of backgrounds, religion or culture, just like art or music.
Rita was born and grew up in Nabek, Syria. She moved to Damascus where she studied at Damascus University and got her engineering certificate. She worked as a broadcast engineer for the official Syrian TV and resided with her husband and young son. When the Syrian war first began in 2011, she and her young family shuttled between Lebanon and Damascus, Syria due to safety reasons. Eventually, she and her family were forced to flee her home country for good, and they landed in Calgary, Canada 10 days to Christmas in December 2015. Moving to Canada as a refugee was a difficult but necessary decision. One unforgettable shock to her on arriving was the weather, seeing as she and her family landed during winter in -25 degrees celsius. Her family received a lot of help in settling down in Canada from the Syrian Refugee Support Group and other organizations. To make a living in Canada and with help from the Syrian Refugee Support Group and Centre for Newcomers, Calgary, she started a catering business called “Syrian Cuisine Made with Love.” She chose the name based on her experience since arriving, about which she said, “we are making a new life in Canada, with love; this country deserves love”. She is working to change the narrative and show that refugees are strong, flexible, and very resilient, willing and able to pick up their lives and give their all to secure their futures. She was the first Syrian refugee to get an official business license, and from 2016 till now has won awards such as the 2016 People’s Choice Peace and Human Right Award, and one of the 2017 Herald Magazine Most Influential People of the Year. Since arriving in Canada, a major theme in her life and that of her family has been to give back to society and to help others just as she received help. From catering for newcomers to organizing Syrian refugees to donate supply hampers for people during the Fort McMurray wildfires, her resolve to give back has stretched far and touched many. Thus she is currently helping other immigrants and refugees, especially Syrians settle into their new home in Canada. She currently works at the Calgary Centre for Newcomers as a settlement practitioner and financial coach, but still enjoys cooking for friends and neighbours, using her gift of food to introduce her Syrian culture, unite palates and bring people together. Interviewed by Esther Ephraim-Osunde, Inioluwa Adedapo, Sweta Shah, Stevia Hatzikiriakos
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Rita Khanchat Kallas: Connections, Community, Passion
Giving Back
Her Passion
Philosophy on Food
Missing Syria
Moving to Calgary
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