The month of giving: The Syrians in Ethiopia keep the tradition of Ramadan a breakfast. religion

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The pictures of the old Damascus and the lobby decorate the walls of a modest restaurant in Paul Michael, a working -class neighborhood near the Addis Ababa International Airport.

The gossip is filled with the Arabic language and the air, and it mixes with a grill from the giant shawarma shacking and the oil wandering around the crunchy kyiba (Buljor ball and ground meat).

In the kitchen, the Syrian chef Ahmed Ibrahim and his assistants are preparing for the evening rush. When the sun begins to go down, it carefully fills the small vessels with chickpeas and dates for guests in the restaurant and packs of ready -made meals for those who stop by searching for a free meal.

In the spirit of the Islamic month of Ramadan, Ibrahim says that he is happy to return the favor.

“When I came to Ethiopia for the first time in 2020, I did not have one fils on my name. I worked in restaurants so that I could open my country. I got married to an Ethiopian woman, and now, I am the father of two daughters,” Ibrahim told Al -Jazeera. “This country has become home to me.”

More than 5.5 million Syrians have escaped from their homeland since 2011, when the war broke out after the government swelled on a popular uprising. Most Syrians who left for neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt resorted to.

But some have ventured more adventure, to countries like Ethiopia, where less than 1500 Syrians are said to live.

Al -Jazeera approached the immigration services and the Ethiopian citizenship for an official appreciation, but the agency refused to respond. According to the local media, many Syrians remain unregistered and live in forgetting.

Despite these challenges, Bole Michael became known as a Syrian neighborhood. More Syrian refugees have found their way there, and they carved a familiar rhythm.

Its streets, which were largely not paved with gravel and dust, were home to Somali, Sudanese and Yemeni refugees – some of more than a million refugees living in Ethiopia.

In recent years, Syrian companies have begun adding dialects and flavors to the loud area.

Ibrahim Restaurant, called Syria, is one of these works. The 34 -year -old arrived in Ethiopia five years ago after he shortened the accommodation for three years in Sudan due to political turmoil there. He says that opening the restaurant was a way to re -create a segment of the house in exile, a place that he could offer to the dishes of his homeland for those who appreciate them.

During Ramadan, this task takes a greater meaning: giving.

Ibrahim, referring to a tradition for centuries throughout the Middle East: “It was great to hosted the free breakfast for all in need, such as those that originated in Syria,” referring to a centuries -old tradition throughout the Middle East, where banquets are created in the streets to provide free food for passers -by that break Ramadan quickly at sunset.

“But this will be difficult here, because poverty is widespread and we are just a small company.”

He says, “Instead, during Ramadan, we are trying not to remove anyone,” he says, explaining that the restaurant offers free meals to the needy during the holy month. “It is about society and helping,” he says.

Nearly a quarter of the 124 million Ethiopians live below the poverty line.

The taste of generosity from the house

While Adhan is repeated from a nearby mosque, indicating the end of fasting, Ibrahim begins to welcome the guests.

Among them is Zainab Muhammad, a Syrian mother for four years, who arrived in Ethiopia last year after fleeing from Khartoum in the Sudanese civil war. Since I settled in Addis Ababa, she tried to gain a living of homemade perfumes in the streets.

Her eyes are closed shortly in prayer, while she is digging in a fragrant chicken shawarma with fried potatoes.

Zainab quietly says: “Life here is not easy.” “But moments like this reminds me of the house. Generosity and common meals – it’s something we carried with us from Syria, and it is still alive here.”

Sitting next to Salem Berhano, an Ethiopian friend and familiar face in the neighborhood. Berhano often joins new arrivals in local restaurants, and sometimes pays the price of their food when he can. It is well known among the local children who gather around it, and speak in the hills.

Berhano says he is enjoying the Syrians in Ethiopia. He says: “It is beautiful, especially during Ramadan, because it gives us an opportunity to meet new people and hold targeted conversations.”

While many Syrians say they felt welcomed in Ethiopia, the challenges are still enormous.

At a close table, another Syrian refugee, Aisha Abd, remembers her first years in the country. I arrived in Addis Ababa after a risky bus journey from Sudan, during which she hid from the fighters who sometimes attacked convoys.

Three years ago, she and other worshipers were invited to a local mosque in Paul Michael to breakfast that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed – a moment she felt, was called as if she was a lifeline after years of displacement.

Now, it sells perfumed coal alongside other Syrian refugees, and often depend on traffic and crowded gathering sites.

She says she is on a medium day, she makes about $ 5, although she is in good days, she gains more with the help of her children.

“Ethiopia is a very welcome country, and people are great. But they can also feel it is a dead end,” she says. “There is no help, finding a job difficult, as many of us end in a humiliating job only to survive.”

Glory in a new land

In Bethael, a quieter neighborhood, more richer in the outskirts of West Addis Ababa, a traumatic air dancer carrying a thick drinker for a brand and red Fez signs in which Syriana opens another famous Syrian restaurant.

Inside, trays from the crunchy coat full of cream and baklava that were collected for the drink are shown, and with the addition of Eid al -Fitr approaches to celebrate the end of Ramadan, the biscuits and the cookies are added traditionally for this occasion, while preserving the long Syrian habits alive.

Ethiopian shepherds, most of whom are young, gather on round tables. A lot of Tijook channel was withdrawn to the 21 -year -old owner Ahmed Abdel Qader, who turned his family into a required place.

During Ramadan, however, Syriaa also welcomes the least fortunate visitors.

“We donate everything we can, including meals throughout Ramadan for anyone in need,” told Abdel -Qader Al -Jazeera, explaining that they depend on an oral word to determine those who may need help. “We are trying to be good citizens and help us, but we can.”

While thousands of Syrian refugees around the world returned to their homes with the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, Abdelkader-representative Ibrahim-in Ethiopia as a homeland.

Fortifying in Al -Amharrik, Abdel -Qader came to Ethiopia at the age of eight, shortly after the war began in Syria. He attended the school in Ethiopia, learned the language, and adapted to his adopted country. Thanks to his presence on social media, he became a common thing, and even his family is considering expanding other parts of Addis Ababa.

While the Syrians became famous for their contributions to cooking scenes in Egypt, Libya, Jordan and other places, those who settled in Ethiopia have to overcome linguistic barriers and uncommon local tastes.

Abdel -Qader says of his family’s success, this month provides him with an opportunity to think and return.

He says: “Ramadan allows me to communicate with my customers on a personal level and provide food for anyone, regardless of their ability to pay.”

This piece was published in cooperation with egab.