Growing up in a refugee settlement in the Ivory Coast of Africa, they learned to cook Jollof—a rice dish made with peppers, onions, and tomato paste—over an open fire.
Living close to the ocean and spending most of their days outdoors, they had access to fish, which they would add to the one-pot meal.
“It didn’t taste very good,” Bintou smiles, as she recalls her brother’s experiment.
Bintou is speaking to the crowd of people filling the St. James United Church auditorium for a community dinner. Having completed the Food Handling Course, Bintou and Aicha have been busy volunteering in the kitchen prepping and cooking for the community meal.
“I really hope you enjoy the meal—and don’t worry, we used tomato paste, not ketchup,” she says laughing wholeheartedly, and the community gathered in the gym, along with her.