“Bulgaria has given me everything that I could dream of, it is my second home!”- meet Prakash from India

Prakash was born in a small village in India. After finishing 5th grade at school he left for New Delhi with his family. He completed 12th grade in New Delhi, followed by a course in hotel management for 3 years, then Prakash worked as a master chef in one of the best hotels in New Delhi.

The topic of migrants is widely discussed, but often misinterpreted. In an attempt to change that, we will share a few stories about third-country nationals with the right to work in our country, who, contrary to popular belief, are successfully integrated into the Bulgarian labor market and contribute to the development of the country’s economy.

Our series is part of the MIraGE project, on which WCIF is working with partners from several European countries. The project aims to ease the access and integration of third-country nationals who seek employment in the host countries of the European Union.

Prakash is part of this project.

Prakash was born in a small village in India. After finishing 5th grade at school he left for New Delhi with his family. He completed 12th grade in New Delhi, followed by a course in hotel management for 3 years, then Prakash worked as a master chef in one of the best hotels in New Delhi.

Before coming to Bulgaria, he worked as a chef in countries all around the world. In 2006 he came to Bulgaria to work as a chef in a private company and this adventure lasted until 2008. “Before moving to Bulgaria, I worked in London. It was a great place, but I didn’t like the weather, always rainy and cloudy. I received a good offer to work in Bulgaria. “- said the Indian. A great team of colleagues help him adapt more easily. He is glad that he has found many friends who support him in every aspect.

After 2 years working in Sofia, he left and opened his own restaurant in December 2008, again in Sofia, but this proved to be a difficult undertaking due to the global financial crisis at the time. After 4 years since the opening of the restaurant, his business enjoys a good reputation in Bulgaria.

Although he experiences a lot of difficulties in his business, Prakash sees prospects for development. His wife and family support him and today he can proudly say that they are extremely respected in Bulgaria. “Bulgaria has given me everything anyone can dream of, it is my second home,” Prakash said.

As a professional here in Bulgaria he has the honor to cook for the Indian and Bulgarian presidents, as well as for Indian foreign ministers when they visited Bulgaria.

He also did catering for people from Bollywood who came to Bulgaria to film Hindi movies. “Success does not come in one day, but when we work hard,” Prakash said. “Thanks to my family, my colleagues and friends and last, but not least, to our customers, Saffron is the best Indian restaurant in Bulgaria.”