By Rob Thomas
A silk scarf is the only flourish to Francoise Magunira’s business attire. In her right hand she holds an unlabeled mason jar of homemade Somali hot sauce, or checni.
Magunira stands before a small warren of offices and wobbly cubicle walls, one of many that honeycomb a squat, six-floor commercial building at the corner of Bank and Cooper streets.
Magunira is the director of CIFODE – a French-language acronym that stands for Centre for Integration, Training and Economic Development.
The non-profit group helps integrate French-speaking immigrant and visible minority women and youth through, among other things, entrepreneurship.
In English flecked with French nouns, Magunira explains that commercializing the sauce is one of the centre’s projects.
The Beldajia Cooperative, a group of Somali women who also run a catering business out of the offices, make the sauce.
The women come from northern Somalia near its border with Djibouti, a former French colony.
Health Canada is in the process of approving the sauce for market. In the meantime, small batches are available from CIFODE.
The centre also offers training in office administration, customer service and management, and provides work placements and support services.
For funding, the centre relies on the support and partnership of a variety of organizations including the City of Ottawa.
Magunira explains that many of the women who use the centre’s services have come to Canada as refugees.
“When a lot of them come here, they have a hard time getting recognition of their background, so they need to find something to do,” says Magunira.
She says that many come with children and without the support of extended families. Although, integration and training are key goals of the centre, CIFODE also provides a social net for women who may otherwise feel isolated in Canada.
In an adjoining room, Miryiam Bile slices the stems from jalapeno peppers.
Bile is president and founding member of the Beldjia Cooperative.
She explains the name comes from a Somali word for “community sharing.”
Bile worked as a nurse in Somalia, before coming to Canada in 1988.
“Everyone worked in their own country,” says Bile, “When we come to Canada, we stay at home.”
Although she says she looked into having her credentials recognized, that would have required additional schooling. Bile cites “Canadian experience” as one of the main reasons for forming the cooperative.
Saada Jilane, Sabah Ali and Fabuma Daauud are the cooperative members helping Bile prepare today’s batch of checni.
In Somalia, and in Somali homes, the checni would be served with rice, noodles or vegetables as a side dish.
None of the women in the cooperative are sure how those Canadians from other backgrounds are using it.
Bile just smiles.
“They like it hot,” she says.