Meet the owner of African Cuisine in Zagreb city of Croatia, 'Wale Soniyiki', the only African themed eatery in the area. Wale Soniyiki was Granted Refugee Status in 2012 by Croatian immigration authority. His association wants to help all refugees who seek asylum in Croatia, help them integrate and raise awareness among the Croatians that people coming to Croatia are usually good and that there are already Africans in Croatia who are “good citizens”.

His restaurant distinguishes itself from the other new venues opening in the capital in Zagreb in three ways:

Firstly, it’s the only African themed eatery in town
Secondly it eschews the popular minimalist modern style in favour of a more cosy, scruffy feel
And thirdly it is run by Prince Wale Soniyiki, one of the first people to gain asylum in Croatia and one of the few to have permanent work.

Immigrants with asylum protection barely register in the Croatian employment figures. Partly because the state is welcoming fewer and fewer of them and partly because jobs are hard enough for native Croats to find, let alone newcomers with a basic grasp of the language.

Sitting in a restaurant, among African flavours coming from the kitchen and the rhythm of drums in the background, Wale speaks comfortably in Croatian about the good fortune which set him up in the country.

He arrived from Nigeria in 2011 after losing two brothers in ethnic fighting.

A Christian living in Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria, Wale went through very tough times in his earlier life. His two brothers, twins, were both killed there.

He said everyone should bear in mind the hardships these refugees have endured on their way, mentioning deserts, storms on the sea and the brutality of the police in places like Macedonia. They are deeply traumatized, he said.

He described leaving Nigeria, going north through Niger and then into Libya, which was in the midst of a civil war. He had to pay money to the rebel militias there, since, according to the popular local belief, “all black people” were fighters for former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

In Libya, Wale boarded a ship that took him to the Croatian coastal city of Split. There he found out that Italy, where he has relatives, was nearby and he decided to go there by taxi.

“The taxi driver charged me 600 euros. Although I had some 630 in total, I told myself, ‘Just get to Italy and my troubles are over’… But he actually drove me to Zagreb and said, ‘Here, this is Italy,”’ he recalled, smiling, as if did not matter anymore.

Wale soon found out he was still in Croatia, talked to the police and applied for political asylum. He waited for his asylum procedure to be completed for around five months in the asylum centre in Kutina, some 80 kilometres from Zagreb. After he obtained asylum he moved back to Zagreb, where the state pays his rent for the next two years, as the law stipulates.

“I was one of the first to obtain asylum in Croatia. I was, I think, number seven,” he recalls.

Wale himself studied business in Nigeria. He wanted to continue his education, but Croatian public universities treat those with asylum status as foreign citizens so they have to pay fees. He can’t afford it right now: “I will finish my studies. Even if I will have grey hair at the time I start,” he says smiling.

According to data from the Croatian employment service there were 30 full time workers in the country with asylum status last year. Almost half worked in warehouses, a small group acted as cooks and there were also a couple of goldsmiths, a farmer, a stonemason and a pedicurist. Eighty five registered unemployed had been granted asylum.

Wale wants to help by employing up to five people in his restaurant. “First they have to learn how my mum used to cook“, he says.

Source: http://www.theafricancourier.de/migration/nigerian-shows-how-migrants-are-putting-down-roots-in-croatia/

http://www.theafricancourier.de/migration/nigerian-shows-how-migrants-are-putting-down-roots-in-croatia/

Wale Soniyiki also featured in Aljazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/06/refugees-croatia-food-syria-nigeria-150624102007686.html

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Good for him.

At least he utilizes the opportunity given to him by the croatian government.

Nice

He should also be grateful to that taxi man for taking/driving him to his destiny, intead of Italy.

anibirelawal:
He should also be grateful to that taxi man for taking/driving him to his destiny, intead of Italy.

.
The God factor.

Dude also has youtube videos. Lemme go and watch.

That's a man with a good head on his shoulders. A man that saw opportunities to make a difference where those before failed. God bless your hustle, Mr. Wale.

salford1:
.
The God factor.

Dude also has youtube videos. Lemme go and watch.

A typical example of 'Some' dissapointments is blessing in disguise.

Good bless you

chukxie:
That's a man with a good head on his shoulders. A man that saw opportunities to make a difference where those before failed. God bless your hustle, Mr. Wale.

I will definitely pay a visit to his restaurant for some yummy yummy this summer

dotcomnamename:


I will definitely pay a visit to his restaurant for some yummy yummy this summer

That would be nice of you. Extend our regards from NL to him..

I love this ❤️
May God bless your hustle mr Wale

dotcomnamename:
Meet the owner of African Cuisine in Zagreb city of Croatia, 'Wale Soniyiki', the only African themed eatery in the area. Wale Soniyiki was Granted Refugee Status in 2012 by Croatian immigration authority. His association wants to help all refugees who seek asylum in Croatia, help them integrate and raise awareness among the Croatians that people coming to Croatia are usually good and that there are already Africans in Croatia who are “good citizens”.

His restaurant distinguishes itself from the other new venues opening in the capital in Zagreb in three ways:

Firstly, it’s the only African themed eatery in town
Secondly it eschews the popular minimalist modern style in favour of a more cosy, scruffy feel
And thirdly it is run by Prince Wale Soniyiki, one of the first people to gain asylum in Croatia and one of the few to have permanent work.

Immigrants with asylum protection barely register in the Croatian employment figures. Partly because the state is welcoming fewer and fewer of them and partly because jobs are hard enough for native Croats to find, let alone newcomers with a basic grasp of the language.

Sitting in a restaurant, among African flavours coming from the kitchen and the rhythm of drums in the background, Wale speaks comfortably in Croatian about the good fortune which set him up in the country.

He arrived from Nigeria in 2011 after losing two brothers in ethnic fighting.

A Christian living in Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria, Wale went through very tough times in his earlier life. His two brothers, twins, were both killed there.

He said everyone should bear in mind the hardships these refugees have endured on their way, mentioning deserts, storms on the sea and the brutality of the police in places like Macedonia. They are deeply traumatized, he said.

He described leaving Nigeria, going north through Niger and then into Libya, which was in the midst of a civil war. He had to pay money to the rebel militias there, since, according to the popular local belief, “all black people” were fighters for former dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

In Libya, Wale boarded a ship that took him to the Croatian coastal city of Split. There he found out that Italy, where he has relatives, was nearby and he decided to go there by taxi.

“The taxi driver charged me 600 euros. Although I had some 630 in total, I told myself, ‘Just get to Italy and my troubles are over’… But he actually drove me to Zagreb and said, ‘Here, this is Italy,”’ he recalled, smiling, as if did not matter anymore.

Wale soon found out he was still in Croatia, talked to the police and applied for political asylum. He waited for his asylum procedure to be completed for around five months in the asylum centre in Kutina, some 80 kilometres from Zagreb. After he obtained asylum he moved back to Zagreb, where the state pays his rent for the next two years, as the law stipulates.

“I was one of the first to obtain asylum in Croatia. I was, I think, number seven,” he recalls.

Wale himself studied business in Nigeria. He wanted to continue his education, but Croatian public universities treat those with asylum status as foreign citizens so they have to pay fees. He can’t afford it right now: “I will finish my studies. Even if I will have grey hair at the time I start,” he says smiling.

According to data from the Croatian employment service there were 30 full time workers in the country with asylum status last year. Almost half worked in warehouses, a small group acted as cooks and there were also a couple of goldsmiths, a farmer, a stonemason and a pedicurist. Eighty five registered unemployed had been granted asylum.

Wale wants to help by employing up to five people in his restaurant. “First they have to learn how my mum used to cook“, he says.

Source: http://www.theafricancourier.de/migration/nigerian-shows-how-migrants-are-putting-down-roots-in-croatia/

http://www.theafricancourier.de/migration/nigerian-shows-how-migrants-are-putting-down-roots-in-croatia/

Wale Soniyiki also featured in Aljazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/06/refugees-croatia-food-syria-nigeria-150624102007686.html

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