FALL 2017 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
LABOR OF LOVE – A STORY OF DETERMINATION
Ms. Rekik Abaineh currently resides in Minnesota and is an alumnus of Nazareth School Addis Ababa Ethiopia, class of 1990. She runs a successful business as an Ethiopian restaurant owner and is busy raising her two children. As a young girl, Ms. Abaineh always had a passion for cooking and it flourished through her high school years. After graduating from Nazareth School, Ms. Abaineh attended a Culinary Arts program to expand her horizons. Ms. Abaineh attributes her cultural upbringing coupled with her training to her success in the Culinary Arts program. After finishing culinary training in Addis Ababa, Ms. Abaineh moved to the United States. Ms. Abaineh recalls working as a waitress during her initial years in the United States and how she set a goal and was determined to become a Chef in her near future. “I was told that I was ambitious, however, I was always encouraged, and that reassurance is what got me through troubled waters”, she stated. Ms. Abaineh remembers starting life in the United States as different and challenging, but being in the service industry gave her insight into her calling.
In 2001 Ms. Abaineh got married. Soon after, her vision of becoming a Chef started to crystallize after years of hard work, with her husband’s blessing and support. Ms. Abaineh surpassed her goal when she became her own boss, a business owner. Her and her husband formed a partnership with The Red Sea Restaurant and started running the restaurant in 2012. “In the beginning, it was nothing like I'd imagined it to be”, Ms. Abaineh recalls.
The long hours and the grueling work of the restaurant business at times created doubts of whether Ms. Abaineh wanted to continue down this journey. “There were times I just wanted to give up, but Nazareth School taught me values and shaped my morals to never quit despite life’s difficulties” Ms. Abaineh shared. Ms. Abaineh attributes her perseverance through the hard times to the high standards of Nazareth School education and empowerment of their girls to dream big and achieve high.
“Running a restaurant is a difficult task” Ms. Abaineh says, “but with the help of my two daughters and my husband, we see the fruition of our hard work”. After 5 years of hard work, Ms. Abaineh has realized the fruits of her labor, and the Red Sea has become one of the top Ethiopian restaurants in Minnesota. The service industry gave Ms. Abaineh the opportunity to engage with her community and learn about many cultures and ideas. The pinnacle of Ms. Abaineh's career has become the new restaurant that I have opened. I have outgrown the partnership and opened my own restaurant called Bole Ethiopian Cuisine, in celebration of my childhood neighborhood. Her achievements have allowed her to pay it forward by giving back to her community through her work. “Success is when your hearts desire is fulfilled which in my case is service to humanity”.
For additional information please visit Ms. Abaineh's restaurants website at, Facebook-Bole USA
A Nazareth School Alumni Association (NSAA) Publication.
A nonprofit organization established to work collaboratively with its supporters to foster educational excellence for girls in developing countries who are facing adversity to nurture their unique potential that positively impacts their community and the world.
