My name is Georgia, my life has been a journey of resilience, adaptation, and community. I am Syrian, born and raised in Kuwait and I lived in the Iraq-Kuwait war until 1990.
I finished my high school in Kuwait and went to Jordan and studied banking and finance in Amman, I returned to Syria to pursue a career in banking. However, the outbreak of war forced me to leave, leading me to seek refuge in Geneva.
In Geneva, I turned to CrossFit as a source of strength and challenge and community. Recognizing its potential for integration, I established “CrossFit for Integration” in collaboration with CrossFitGVA, supporting refugees like me in rebuilding their lives through fitness and integrate with local athletes. As I awaited my refugee permit, I occupied myself in French classes and continued my work with CrossFit for Integration as a volunteer.
With newfound freedom, I decided to pursue my dream of opening a restaurant.
With Covid time, CrossFit was closed, I learnt about nutrition myself and created Georgia’s Bread. I completed my project, Georgia’s Bread, with Singa and received the Singa award for the best entrepreneurial project in October 2022.
Additionally, I joined Cuisine Lab, a training restaurant for refugee chefs, as a volunteer in 2021. By 2022, I was employed as a catering coordinator, and in 2023, I was promoted to catering manager.
Finally, in December 2023, I received my B permit, granting me the same rights as any other citizen‚ this gave me the ability to travel, open a credit card account, start a business, and more. With newfound freedom, I decided to pursue my dream of opening a restaurant.
Now, in April 2024, I have terminated my work with Cuisine Lab to focus on my own project. I am working on opening my restaurant, Bab Simsim, which means “Door of Wonder.” It will offer magical flavours from oriental food with a modern twist. As a managing partner, I am excited to bring my vision to life and contribute to the community in a meaningful way.
