Kena Maldonado: Venezuelan chef finds refuge in Trinidad and Tobago

As a Venezuelan refugee living in Trinidad and Tobago since 2016, Kena Maldonado knows what it's like having to start over from scratch. But she firmly believes that no matter what, she is obligated to contribute to the country that took her in at her time of need.

A refugee is someone who has fled war, violence, conflict or persecution in their country and crossed international borders to find safety in another country.

Maldonado told WMN she came to TT because of the political and economic turmoil that was taking place in her country, and after receiving multiple threats. A graphic designer and chef by profession, she had nothing when she arrived in TT and was literally starting over.

"I left my family behind and came by myself. I had lost everything, including my graphic design company. But when we are in a country we have to contribute, so for me it’s in the kitchen. I love to cook. It is my life."

She said when she arrived in TT she got into a food business with two other people, but it didn't work out and she had to start over again.

"That was my first bad experience here. It was hard because I had put a lot of time, energy and what little money I had into that business and got back nothing."

She said she worked at many different restaurants, but there was always a problem with the salaries.

"They don’t always want to pay the correct salaries for the amount of work we do."

Eventually, she said, she and another Venezuelan woman began preparing food and selling out of a church by orders. Business was good and more orders started coming in, until 2020 when the covid19 pandemic halted their operations.

"And when things re-opened, there I was again, starting from zero, but this time with a quality of food that people knew and loved."

Maldonado now operates her registered business, Khalo's Bakery, which serves a variety of dishes, including Arabian and Mexican food.

"We mix it up a little bit sometimes with Venezuelan food. But it's mostly about what the people request...We work by orders on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, selling food at Barbados Road, Federation Park."

She said her plans for Khalo's Bakery is to open a physical place and to hire more Trini cooks because she wants a mix of both culinary cultures.

"We are here to help the business sector, but also to show that wherever you are you can dream and make things happen. We (refugees) want to help. We are not the enemy. We can work together and grow together."

The 32-year-old is also one of 14 contributors to a cookbook, From Our Table to Yours: Fusion Cuisine, a collection of recipes prepared by refugees and forcibly displaced people throughout the region and compiled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Maldonado has TT roots and she told WMN her recipe, Talkari (or Tarkari) de Chivo, is Venezuelan goat curry that has origins in India and is a family recipe that combines both Venezuelan and TT culture.

"I decided to do a recipe that mixes two cultures – Venezuelan and Indian culture. My grandmother was born in India and moved to Trinidad when she was a teenager, and then to Venezuela after her marriage. This recipe highlights a mix of cultures because although it is a traditional Venezuelan dish, it has Indian origins, and you can still get a good taste of Trinidad flavours. My intention always was to show that TT and Venezuela have things in common. In Venezuela we have similar issues like in TT," Maldonado said.

UNHCR TT's head of national office Miriam Aertker said the cookbook is a celebration of inclusion and integration.

“Food is one of the best ways to learn and experience a culture. TT’s cuisine is celebrated around the world for its fusion of flavours, influenced by all the people who have called this beautiful country home over the centuries and Kena’s recipe is now a new addition to this proud legacy."

Maldonado said she is gradually finding her footing here, but when she first came and over the years she has encountered many hurdles, among them the challenge of getting the relevant documents to regularise her status.

"I arrived in Trinidad because of political problems and tried for a year and a half to get my documents in order, but here was always a problem. I couldn't return to Venezuela and I considered going to other countries...Then I took my case to the UNHCR, and in less than a year it was settled and I was given UN refugee status. I'm here with my husband but the rest of my family is still in Venezuela."

She said she and other Venezuelans had to deal with the language and cultural barriers, as well as the "people (of TT) thinking we’re coming to take their jobs." "Yes, when we left our country we left everything – family, jobs, our lives. It was difficult because we had no papers, we didn’t speak English and we had to learn. But all we want to do is to be able to help ourselves and our families."

Most times, she said, when they do find jobs it is usually low-paying and without benefits.

"It’s horrible when you’re feeling sick and have to wake up and go to work because you have no sick leave benefits and people are depending on you, having to send money home to Venezuela to your family and not having enough to pay your own rent or buy food."

And for the women especially, she said, there is an additional challenge.

"We are not feeling safe when we are out, and it's not just Venezuelan women. It's the reality of all women in this country."

She said it is her hope that things will get better and she will be able to return home to Venezuela. But, she is proud of and grateful for what she has been able to accomplish in TT.