Dawit Meles speaks three languages. His first language is Tigrinya, the language of Eritrea, but he grew up in Sudan and speaks Sudanese Arabic. Now Dawit has mastered enough English to run his own restaurant after only four years in New Zealand.
Journey to New Zealand
Dawit and his wife were childhood friends. They kept in touch when she moved to New Zealand in 2008. They were married in Eritrea in 2017 and Dawit moved to New Zealand to be with her in 2018 just before the Covid-19 pandemic closed all borders.
When Dawit arrived in New Zealand he spoke very little English and had never written emails or documents in English. He was determined to work hard and create a successful future for himself and his family. Despite his limited English, he completed a 2-hour interview process and was offered a cleaning job. Then he became an Uber driver. Dawit would often finish his cleaning job at 9pm and then drive an Uber until 3am. He regularly worked 60-70 hours per week. Talking to Uber customers everyday helped Dawit to improve his English.
Enrolling in English Class
In 2021 he enrolled in an ESOL Intensive class at English Language Partners Christchurch.
He says his teacher Wendy's encouragement kept him motivated to continue learning. Wendy says “Dawit was an ideal learner. He was motivated and enthusiastic and always talked to everyone to practise the language we were studying. He was also an excellent attender and came regularly to class.”
Running a restaurant business
Dawit was a photographer in Sudan and sometimes worked as a chef. But very few bars in Sudan serve alcohol and Dawit doesn’t drink. In his first three months at Boteco restaurant Dawit learned to make cocktails and studied for a duty manager’s licence. This was a challenge because there were over 25 questions to answer in English in the application form. He also had to study all the rules about food safety in English.
After a couple of years, Dawit had the opportunity to takeover the business. Boteco is a cozy restaurant. It attracts a friendly, diverse crowd. They come for the food, great music, and to socialize over a shisha pipe or two. Shisha, also known as Hookah, is a type of water pipe that’s used to smoke flavoured tobacco.
Dawit serves Mediterranean and South American food. Moussaka, the mezze platters, kebabs, and South American fries are favourites with his customers.
Advice for learners
After settling in New Zealand, Dawit has this advice for anyone wanting to learn English:
“Think big and aim high. Being confident in English is essential for business owners. Reading and writing are important skills for handling communications with suppliers. You should talk to many different people to practise your English.”
Further information
Boteco Cafe & Restaurant – Flavor Starts from here
Learn English in Christchurch! (englishlanguage.org.nz)
