Wafaa Alsoua

From Learning English to Opening a Successful Business

Wafaa and her husband Badie immigrated to Canada from Syria in 2016. In their home country, Wafaa was a math teacher and also helped her husband Badie run two successful businesses, a bookstore and a grocery store.Following her arrival, Wafaa rapidly learned to speak English in our Language Training Programs. Within nine months, she had progressed through two Canadian Language Benchmark levels, CLB 3 and 4, and she then launched her business while continuing her language studies.Through our NEED Program (Newcomer Enhanced Entrepreneurial Development), she learned about the different aspects of starting a business in Saskatchewan and local business requirements and regulations as well as how to network with other professionals, including one-on-one consultations with industry experts.Now both Wafaa and her husband are working hard to bring delicious Syrian cuisine to Saskatoon. In the past year, their company Taste of Syria has become a favourite of pop-up restaurants at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market.