Queen Rania visits home-based food business run by Firyal Kofahi in Irbid’s Hawar village

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania visited Firyal Kofahi’s home-based kitchen in Irbid’s Hawar village on Wednesday as part of her efforts to support and highlight economic empowerment opportunities for women. 

Welcomed by Firyal Kofahi and her husband, Ahmad Dahadha, Her Majesty talked to Kofahi about the origins of her kitchen, its expansion over the years, and her future vision for the business. Kofahi’s kitchen currently employs 10 women, some of whom are Syrian refugees trained in the making of traditional Jordanian dishes by Kofahi herself, according to a statement from Her Majesty’s office. 

Speaking to the Queen about her success story, Kofahi told Her Majesty about applying to a grant by USAID’s Jordan Local Enterprise Support Project’s programme in 2015, which she used to run a full-fledged kitchen that employed a substantial number of community women. Through the kitchen’s income, Kofahi managed to send her eight children to university and help local women earn a living and learn a variety of culinary skills.

Kofahi went on to explain to Her Majesty that the COVID-19 pandemic had forced her to shut down the original kitchen — which catered to local customers and university students and employees — and run her business from home. 

At the kitchen, Her Majesty also spoke to the women working with Kofahi, who shared their experiences and the impact their work has had on improving their livelihoods. 

The Queen then offered Kofahi financial support to help expand the kitchen and employ a larger number of community men and women.

Afterwards, the Queen joined the women in preparing a traditional Jordanian dish, Makmoura — an experience offered to tourists visiting Kofahi’s home — and looked at some of the women’s homemade products and food items. In celebration of Her Majesty’s upcoming birthday, Kofahi, and her team offered Her Majesty a home baked cake and expressed their pleasure in meeting her, relaying their gratitude for her continued support and encouragement.

Famous for serving authentic, home-style dishes from the north of Jordan and producing a wide array of traditional food items including appetizers and sweets, Kofahi’s kitchen has helped draw attention to Hawar’s beauty and keep the local culinary culture alive.