Tanzanian seafood restaurant hires people with disabilities

By Kizito Makoye

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AA) - In Tanzania's bustling commercial city of Dar es Salaam, a disabled female chef runs a seafood restaurant that serves as a training center and empowers women with disabilities to join the mainstream workforce.

Parachefs Tanzania -- the brainchild of Zena Akuwa, a versatile entrepreneur -- is an impact-driven business known for equipping people with special needs who want to learn how to cook with transferable skills and career opportunities.

“Disability is not inability. We are trying to show the world that people with disabilities, who are often discriminated against in the job market, can do something meaningful,” Akuwa told Anadolu Agency.

Since she was at school, Akuwa had a vision to create an entrepreneurial venture that would be run primarily by people with special needs.

Eight years on, Akuwa is enhancing the lives of people with disabilities through training and employment at Parachefs Tanzania.

With hard work, a strong passion and an amazing team, Parachefs opened its doors in 2018.

“We are so much more than employers who offer jobs to a dozen teammates,” Akuwa said, adding, “We have created meaningful employment and a wonderful sense of community within our walls.”

- Widespread discrimination

In the East African country of Tanzania, where 4.2 million people have disabilities, there is widespread discrimination against people with disabilities who seek employment in the job market, activists said.

People with disabilities are often among the poorest and most marginalized in the society.

With only 3.1% receiving income from paid employment, according to government data, households headed by persons with disabilities experience greater levels of poverty.

However, the award-winning entrepreneur is fighting for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream workforce.

“I want to show that people with disabilities, given the right training, are capable of doing any work,” said Akuwa, who suffered childhood limb paralysis.

The first thing that strikes you upon entering the restaurant in the bustling Magomeni suburb is its serenity and the wafting smell of fish dishes.

It is only later that you realize there is something different and a little special about this fine restaurant.

“People don’t come here because they want to be served by disabled staff but because it’s the best restaurant in town,” said Akuwa.

Driven by her passion to succeed in life, Akuwa, the founding member of Parachefs Tanzania, certainly knows the challenges engulfing people with disabilities.

“When people hear the word ‘disability,’ they often think someone is confined to a wheelchair,” she said.

- Limited view

Akuwa said this limited view of disabilities has badly affected efforts for accessibility, inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

“The biggest barrier that people with disabilities face is the way our society perceives them. Stereotyping and discrimination are all enduring challenges for us that have resulted in unemployment,” she said.

Akuwa, who employs 20 people, is planning to expand her business by opening new outlets in the capital city Dodoma, Arusha and Zanzibar.

“I am aiming higher, and I think I will succeed with hard work, determination and creativity,” she said.

Born in Morogoro, a city west of Dar es Salaam, Akuwa, who comes from a family of seven siblings, was not born with a disability but suffered from acute malaria that led to her paralysis.

She attended primary school at the Salvation Army, which she completed in 2006. She then enrolled in Jangwani Girls Secondary School in Dar es Salaam, which she completed in 2010. She later joined an Italian NGO for her cooking training.

“I graduated with honors and became a chef specializing in Italian cuisine,” she told Anadolu Agency.

As part of her charitable work, Akuwa has been involved in multiple initiatives to empower girls and women with disabilities.

Her work has been recognized nationally. In 2021, she scooped an award as one of 100 Tanzanian “sheroes.”

Her restaurant sells food and delivers fresh seafood to a wide array of customers.

But Akuwa’s success has not come without challenges. As a young woman coming of age, she struggled to dispel myths and discrimination.

“I always give myself hope and move forward,” she said.

- Employment criteria

The 20 staff at Parachefs, who range in age from 20 to 35, had been recruited on merit. To qualify, Akuwa said applicants had to be unemployed and have more than 30% disability.

“I feel very lucky to be employed here,” said Teresia Kulewa, a waitress, who limps with her left leg.

“It is not easy to work when people just see you as someone who needs help. This has given me the chance to get my own income and live a good life like any other,” she said.

Jackob Kileo, 23, has albinism and is a chef.

“It’s given me the chance to do something and earn a legitimate income,” said Kileo, who lived with his parents until he was recruited.

“Working here has changed my life. So many things I used to ask my mother to do, I do myself,” he said.