Alumni cook-along brings flavours and stories to life for Refugee Week

On Tuesday 18 June York for Life hosted an online alumni cook-along in collaboration with Yahala Mataam, a social enterprise supporting refugees and asylum seekers. The event was part of Refugee Week, which this year focused on the theme "Our Home," inviting participants to celebrate the meaning of home.

Yahala Mataam, which operates as a pop-up restaurant, street food vendor, online cookery school, and private event caterer, boasts a diverse staff of refugees from Afghanistan, Guinea, Iran, Syria, and Ukraine. Participants were treated to an interactive cooking session where they learnt to prepare Baameah, a flavourful Syrian okra stew, alongside an aromatic Arabic salad and fluffy rice. To ensure everyone could fully immerse themselves in the experience free spice packs were sent out to each guest ahead of the event.

As the food simmered the evening took on a deeper meaning with a presentation from Sayed, a recipient of the University’s Equal Access Scholarship. Sayed shared his inspiring journey from fleeing Afghanistan and finding refuge in pursuing a Master’s degree at York. His place at York has been generously supported through donors to the York Sanctuary Fund, the University's fund to assist asylum seeking students and academics at risk. Sayed's story, filled with resilience and hope, struck a chord with many attendees.

The event saw over 50 participants and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One attendee remarked:

"Wow what a wonderful event! The food was excellent. The spice made all the difference."

Another shared their admiration for Sayed's story, saying:

"Thank you so much to the young man who shared his journey to education. I am confident he will and hope he fulfills his potential and all his dreams come true. He deserves the best life can offer."

The York for Life team are continuing to run exciting events throughout the year, so keep an eye out for the next opportunity to get involved!