The Spice Exchange: Giving hope, employment and a new start to refugee women
Updated
A social enterprise in Queensland is helping refugee and migrant women gain employment and foster community spirit through cooking.
The Spice Exchange sees these enterprising women come together to creates spice blends, condiments and gingerbread.
They use recipes and spices well known in their home countries.
Backed by Access Community Services, the social enterprise in Logan, south of Brisbane, also helps the women practise their English-speaking skills.
Many of those involved are single women with dependent children, with limited education and literacy skills.
Organiser Tianna Dencher said the Spice Exchange was helping these women, who sometimes felt isolated, find their voice.
"They were needing to get out and into the workplace, as well as find friendship and be able to socialise," Ms Dencher said.
"We saw that these women were comfortable with food and we decided to create something that would engage women around food.
"Many of the women had such great cultural diversity, had beautiful cuisines that had spices ... that's how we started."
The program also teaches the women about workplace culture, marketing and how to price products.
Currently, they are making gingerbread for the Christmas season using their spices which they will then sell online.
"The fact they are learning these skills and are financially independent creates wonderful breakthroughs," Ms Dencher said.
Salima Muzima arrived in Australia in 2007 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and now works at the Spice Exchange daily.
"It's changed my life and I've learnt so much that now I'm able to do anything," she said.
"Before I got this job I cried every single day.
"I had little money from Centrelink and in this country it costs so much. I would pay my bills, then I would have no money.
"Now I can pay my bills and save and look after my daughter and son ... I'm so, so happy."
Ms Muzima said she wanted to encourage other women to be involved.
"In my country women suffer ... I want to get other women to come here and help and to enjoy it together."
Adhel Mawien Ukong began with the Spice Exchange in September and said the program provided her with opportunities for her and her children.
"I've learnt so much," she said.
"I start at 9:00am and finish at 2.30pm and it's given me a job four days a week and it's helped us.
"I love it so much so I come here every day of the week sometimes, and I've invited other women to join me."
Topics: refugees, community-and-society, food-and-cooking, human-interest, logan-central-4114, brisbane-4000
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