Hi, I’m Majeda, a human right activist from Syria! I had been working as a children’s therapist when the war broke out in Syria in 2011. Me and my family had lived a happy and privileged life in a big house in Damascus. I organised an initiative to feed the thousands of displaced Syrians who were arriving in the capital, having had their homes bombed by the Syrian government. As a result of this activism, I was imprisoned by the regime.

I eventually managed to escape Syria and now use food to continue my campaigning in exile. In December 2017, I got refugee status in the UK and my two boys have now come to join me. I believe there is a relationship between cooking and love and that preparing a meal for the one you love, combining your skills and your feelings to create something, can convey a lot to the person: be it husband, children or friends. People usually leave my cookery classes newly politicised about the Syrian situation and delighted by our incredibly tasty food.