Born in an Ethiopian refugee camp in Somalia, Meymuna Hussein-Cattan and her mother, Owliya Dima, had to acclimate to a new life in Southern California all on their own.
As their own family resettled in the early 1980s, Dima volunteered tirelessly to help others navigate the process as well, inspiring Cattan’s decision to start the nonprofit Tiyya Foundation to continue her mother’s mission to help immigrants and refugees. The word “tiyya” is an Oromo term of endearment, meaning “my dear” or “my love.”
Since 2010, more than 1,000 families have been helped by the foundation with basic needs, education and career placement resources and more as they resettle in the Orange County and the general Southern California region.
Part of that is through the foundation’s culinary program which includes two branches — Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant Flavors from Afar nestled in L.A.’s Little Ethiopia community and the foundation’s new education workshops and consultations.
The foundation, based in Santa Ana, opened the restaurant, which it describes as a “social enterprise,” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept began in 2018 after Cattan started a small catering company to financially support the foundation’s mission, but the opportunity to become brick-and-mortar came after a partnership with Christian Davis in 2020.
The restaurant rotates its menu monthly to highlight a different international cuisine, using the recipes and experience of the refugees and immigrants the foundation has partnered with.
Kenna Copes is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and program instructor and head chef of the restaurant. She works with every refugee to make their dishes ready for service and also helps prepare Flavors’ staff for careers in the culinary…
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