Sada Elya, 29, from Armidale, NSW shares her story with Take 5:
Arranging the lamb koftas on the plate, I set it aside for the waiter to collect.
It was October 2022, and I’d just begun work as a chef at Ezidi Place, a restaurant in the Comfort Inn Motel, Armidale.
Each dish I prepared reminded me how far I’d come – literally – from my home in Iraq.
I was a long way from my homeland. (Image: supplied)
Back in 2014, my parents, seven brothers, five sisters, and I had been forced to flee our country as the Ezidis, the religious group I belonged to, were being persecuted by extremists.
“We can’t stay here,” Dad warned.
By this point, much of our hometown, Shingal, had been ransacked or destroyed and many fellow Ezidis murdered.
So, we gathered what few belongings we could and escaped to Turkey, where we remained for four years as asylum seekers.
My family was lucky to survive. (Image: supplied)
Eventually, we learned of a refugee program in Australia which was settling Ezidis in Armidale, in the NSW Northern Tablelands.
“This place is beautiful!” I cried as we arrived in September 2018.
Although we were relieved to be somewhere safe, without knowing English, finding employment was a challenge.
Many Ezidis settled in Armidale, NSW. (Image: supplied)
So I enrolled myself in an English-speaking class at TAFE where I met other Ezidi refugees.
In 2022, Phil, the owner of the local motel, came to visit.
“I’d like to start an Ezidi restaurant and I’m looking for staff,” he said.
My mum had taught me how to cook traditional food, so I applied for the chef position, and got it!
“You’ve made me so proud,” Mum said on opening night.
My mum taught me how to cook Ezidi cuisine. (Image: supplied)
Many locals came out that night to try the chicken biryani, vegetable kibbehs and many other dishes.
Staffed entirely by Ezidi refugees, the restaurant has been a great success.
I still miss my friends back home in Iraq, but I have a new community in Armidale.
For me, it’s a joy to bring a bit of my homeland to the plates of Australia.
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