Today we’d like to introduce you to Mamba Hamissi.
Hi Mamba, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We started with an entrepreneurship program while living at Freedom house Detroit (a shelter for refugee from all over the world coming to seek asylum in USA) Both myself and my wife, Nadia had college degrees from Burundi but we struggled to get a job here in the states. We had the idea to open an African restaurant to celebrate and share our culture with this city that we began to grow fond of. For Baobab Fare, our restaurant is more than a place to eat – it’s an experience. In our journey from Burundi, we have come to cherish our home in Detroit, but we still experience so much joy in sharing where we came from – our East African roots. That’s why we want to share more than just dishes with our community – we want to share our culture.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
On this journey, everything was a challenge. We started working on our business just one year after coming to America without a background in business. We had no credit score and no green card.
The concept we were introducing was also fairly new to the city. We found that very few people believed in what we were trying to do. But we had to persevere for not only survival but also a fiery passion for our goals.
We’ve been impressed with Baobab Fare, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Baobab Fare is an East African Restaurant Created in Detroit, founded by two asylees and husband and wife from Burundi, Mamba Hamissi and Nadia Nijimbere.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
The neighborhood I grew up only had one house with a TV and we used to go to that house and watch TV every day at 6 PM, We would all gather and watch the same cartoon over and over again without ever growing tired of it. I look back at those memories fondly and cherish the time I spent there.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@baobabfare.com
- Website: baobabfare.com
- Instagram: baobabfare
- Facebook: baobabfare
- Youtube: baobabfare
Image Credits
Featherstone
