Evelina Eskenazi

Founder & Director

Evelina's six years in the food industry, working and training in restaurants and ultimately setting up her own catering company, helped her to recognise the importance of food and the joy it can bring to people. She spent the following five years working in humanitarian aid, running a warehouse in a refugee camp and setting up as well as managing an education and community centre. This helped refine her aptitude in working with vulnerable people and running teams of staff and volunteers. All of this experience has equipped her with the necessary skills to start Saffron Kitchen Project, whose goal is to provide both opportunity, and a sense of community, for refugees and vulnerable people.

Her favourite meal is pasta cooked by someone else (obviously by someone who can cook pasta).

Adel Boshi

Head Chef

As a young boy growing up in Damascus, Syria, Adel would try to cook with his mother, but she usually kicked him out of the kitchen because he was too messy. Nevertheless, he went on to graduate from culinary school and began working in restaurants in 2005, making his way from assistant to chef. In 2011, Adel left Syria for Egypt, where he continued working in restaurants. He came to Europe in 2015 and volunteered with the NGO Meet ’n Eat in Berlin. SKP is his first job cooking in Athens and he is excited to help the project grow.

Adel’s favourite meal is mandi, a yellow rice, chicken, and tomato sauce dish, which his mother taught him to make.

Stella Elmatzoglou

Project Manager

Stella has extensive experience as both a volunteer and a professional in the humanitarian sector. She has been working as a project manager for over 8 years, both in Greece and abroad, and has recently completed her Master's in Gender, Society, and Politics at Panteion University of Athens. Stella believes that collaborative work and solidarity are the most effective paths toward achieving social justice and equity.
As a true food enthusiast, she views food as one of the most powerful tools for creating safe spaces and promoting social inclusion.

Her favorite dish used to be pastitsio, but SKP’s Qabuli is quickly becoming a strong competitor for the top spot.

Mamadou Oury Diallo

Sous Chef

Arriving in Greece from Conakry, Guinea in 2020, Mamadou started working with Saffron Kitchen Project back in 2022 after completing his sponsored, IEK culinary training with us. Back in Guinea, Mamadou completed a degree in Business Administration and believes some of his strengths include being organised, sociable and a good listener. His favourite part of working with SKP is the empathy involved with the project and providing meals to those in need. His keen interest in developing his skills and love for cooking have made him a fantastic member of the team. This enthusiasm and dedication has led him to grow from a volunteer to our Sous Chef!

His favourite meal is Latchiri, a Guinean dish consisting of corn cous cous with a yoghurt sauce.

Sofia Athanasiadou

Operations Coordinator

Prior to her career in information services, Sofia dedicated herself to humanitarian efforts after relocating to Greece in 2017 from Germany as a Volunteer, teaching mostly
German and providing Greek language support to displaced communities throughout the Grassroots in Athens. These experiences reinforced her commitment to social contribution and community building, allowing her to connect with diverse individuals - something she cherishes deeply and is rooted in her upbringing in multicultural environments. Sofia is eager to contribute her efforts once again in a non profit environment and particularly into an organization whose values she wholeheartedly supports.

On top of that, she certainly is a foodie and no picky eater... her favorite dish is anything her grandmother's prepare, especially a warming plate of Giouvarlosoupa - a traditional Greek Meatball Soup prepared with a base of Lemon and Egg.

Khuloussi Hammouda

Kitchen Assistant

Born and raised in Gaza, Khuloussi developed a passion for animal care early on, specializing in raising special chicks and studying veterinary practices. He moved to Turkey, where he spent eight years working in import/export and various roles in the restaurant industry, gaining valuable experience in food and hospitality.

In 2024, Khuloussi made the decision to move to Athens, seeking new opportunities to refine his craft and pursue his dream of opening a restaurant that serves authentic Palestinian dishes. His ultimate goal is to specialize in grilled meats, showcasing the rich flavours of Palestinian cuisine.

His favourite dish is Palestinian Maqluba, with roasted chicken specifically!

Claudia Tomarchio

Grants Officer

Hailing from and residing in Italy, Claudia has been working with SKP since January 2023. With over eight years of experience in the humanitarian sector, with a particular focus on migration and working with unaccompanied children, she has found herself in various hands-on roles in different parts of the world. Alongside this, Claudia has helped numerous organisations of different sizes with grant writing and applications, as well as experience working with the EU, UNCHR, and the Red Cross.

She considers herself a proactive, determined and adventurous individual and says she is inspired by all the love the team members put into everything they do here at SKP.

One of her favourite meals is granita with brioche, a classic Sicilian dish often enjoyed in the summer but not limited to!

Jonny Willis

Jonny co-founded Refugee Youth Service in 2016 and sister organisation Velos Youth in 2017. With a background in small business and grassroots NGO leadership, Jonny enjoys the entrepreneurial and operational sides of humanitarian and development work. He joined Saffron Kitchen Project in order to share the lessons learnt and insight developed over the past few years, from working in the grassroots of Greek civil society.

Johnny's favourite meal is pumpkin lasagne, especially when smoked cheese is involved!

Fausta Eskenazi

She is an art dealer with many years of experience in charity work in different places from India, Afghanistan to Tibet as well as Europe. Fausta's knowledge covers fundraising and strategy, and she brings with her a lot of creativity.
Having seen first hand in camps in Greece how food is essential to people’s wellbeing in dire situations she strongly believes in the importance of SKP’s role in the refugee context.

Her favourite meal is Risotto alla Milanese, soft, creamy, soothing and comforting, shining with the happiest of colours, yellow saffron!

Katina Saoulli

Katina’s professional experience includes a degree in law, working in media and advertising, running NGOs within the Greek context and being slightly obsessed with Excel.
Her eagerness to be part of the Saffron Kitchen Project stems from her belief that it provides both an immediate solution by providing nurturing meals and in the longer term enables people to develop real skills with genuine job and integration opportunities. It is to her a perfect example of an organisation supporting the community to organically grow (no pun intended).

Katina’s favourite meal is most things cooked by her mother!

Gabi Herberstein

She is a co-founder of the Greek/Austrian organisation Echo100Plus. Having had the experience of setting up an NGO herself, Gabi believes she can contribute with her realistic outlook, attention to detail and familiarity of working within Greece.
Gabi trusts in the Saffron Kitchen Project's ability to bring people together through cooking and opportunity with a long-lasting effect.

Her favourite meal is aubergine imam bayildi, it’s seasonal food at it’s best!