About AMAS

Co-Founder & Head Chef

Ida Bojang

Meet the Chef Ida Bojang

Growing up in The Gambia, Ida Bojang discovered her love for cooking in the heart of her grandmother’s kitchen. She spent countless hours alongside her maternal grandmother, who prepared nearly ten different traditional dishes each day to sell at the local market. As her trusted helper and eager student, Ida learned not only the techniques of authentic West African cooking but also the values of hospitality, generosity, and bringing people together through food.

Inspired by those early experiences, Ida began preparing meals for family gatherings, school events, and weekend get-togethers with friends. Her delicious home-cooked meals quickly became a favorite among those around her, and over the years, family and friends consistently encouraged her to turn her natural talent and passion into a business.

Ida has dedicated her culinary talents to serving the community by preparing meals for cultural celebrations, family gatherings, weddings, Eid festivities, and nonprofit events. She has volunteered her time and skills to support organizations including the Bilal Islamic Center and the Washington West African Center (WAWAC), where her authentic African cuisine has been enjoyed by hundreds of community members.

In recognition of her culinary skills and passion for sharing African culture, Ida was selected as the featured chef for the 2026 Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, held May 22–26, 2026. During the festival, she led a live cooking demonstration showcasing West African Jollof Rice, one of the region’s most iconic and beloved dishes. Supported by fellow AMAS co-founder Amie Secka and Pa Ousman Joof, Ida introduced festival attendees to the flavors, traditions, and cultural significance of West African cuisine, inspiring many to experience African food for the very first time.

Today, as a Co-Founder and Chef of African Meals and Snacks (AMAS), Ida is committed to preserving and sharing the rich culinary traditions passed down by her grandmother. Her mission is to introduce authentic African cuisine to people from all backgrounds while celebrating the culture, heritage, and hospitality that make West African food so unique.

Ida believes that every meal tells a story. Through AMAS, she hopes to create memorable dining experiences that connect generations, celebrate culture, and invite the wider community to discover the vibrant flavors of Africa.

“The recipes I prepare today are more than family traditions, they are a legacy of love, culture, and hospitality that I am honored to share with every guest we serve.”

Co-Founder & Executive Chef

Amie Secka

Meet the Chef-Amie Secka

For some, cooking is a profession. For Amie Secka, it has always been a calling-one rooted in love, family, resilience, and the rich culinary traditions of West Africa.

Growing up in The Gambia, Amie learned the value of food and hospitality at an early age. She spent countless hours helping her mother prepare and sell homemade meals to students and neighbors while also assisting in cooking for her family. Those early experiences planted the seeds of a lifelong passion for bringing people together through food.

At just fifteen years old, Amie’s life changed forever with the heartbreaking loss of her mother. As the only daughter in a household with her father and four brothers, she naturally stepped into the role of family cook. What began as a responsibility born out of necessity soon became a passion that would shape her future. Every meal she prepared became an expression of love, care, and commitment to her family.

Over the years, Amie refined her culinary skills by preparing both traditional and contemporary West African dishes for family celebrations, community gatherings, and large cultural events. She has helped prepare and serve thousands of meals at community programs, festivals, fundraising events, weddings, and multicultural celebrations throughout Washington State. These experiences have strengthened her ability to prepare high-quality meals at scale while preserving the authentic flavors, techniques, and warmth of home-cooked African cuisine.

Today, Amie proudly serves as Head Chef and Co-Founder of African Meals and Snacks (AMAS). Every dish she prepares reflects generations of family recipes, cultural traditions, and the spirit of African hospitality. Whether catering a wedding, serving guests at a community festival, or introducing someone to West African cuisine for the very first time, she believes that food is more than nourishment—it is a bridge that connects people, cultures, and memories.

Her vision is to build more than a successful food business. Through AMAS, she is helping create a destination where authentic African flavors, exceptional hospitality, and cultural pride come together to provide every guest with a true taste of home. Looking ahead, she dreams of growing AMAS from a catering business into a fleet of food trucks, a signature restaurant, and ultimately an internationally recognized franchise that shares the richness of African cuisine across the United States, Canada, Europe, and beyond.

“Every meal I prepare is made with the same love and care that first inspired me to cook for my own family. When you dine with us, you’re not just enjoying a meal,you become part of our story.”

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Pa Ousman Joof

Meet the Founder-Pa Ousman Joof

For Pa Ousman Joof, food has always been about more than nourishment,it is about culture, family, community, entrepreneurship, and bringing people together.

Growing up in The Gambia, Pa Ousman was immersed in family businesses centered around food. His father owned a neighborhood grocery store that served the local community, while his mother prepared and sold traditional Gambian breakfast dishes at the local market every morning. As a young boy, he eagerly assisted with every aspect of the business , from helping prepare ingredients and transporting food to the market, to serving customers, packaging orders, washing dishes, and supporting the day-to-day operations. Those experiences gave him an early appreciation for entrepreneurship, customer service, logistics, and the power of food to build community.

After immigrating to the United States, Pa Ousman continued working in the food and hospitality industry. He gained valuable experience in restaurant and deli operations before joining a Marriott hotel, where he worked in food service and hospitality. Living away from home also strengthened his own connection to traditional African cuisine, as he learned to prepare many of the meals he grew up eating. Those experiences deepened his appreciation for the role authentic food plays in preserving culture and creating a sense of home.

As the Founder and Executive Director of the Washington West African Center (WAWAC), Pa Ousman has spent years serving immigrant and refugee communities throughout Washington State. Through cultural festivals, community celebrations, food distributions, educational programs, fundraising events, and countless gatherings, he has seen firsthand how food creates belonging, strengthens relationships, and introduces people from diverse backgrounds to the richness of African culture. Partners, friends, and community members have long encouraged him to make authentic African cuisine more widely available, helping inspire the creation of AMAS.

Beyond his nonprofit work, Pa Ousman is the Co-Founder of Jantaluja Communication Services and the Founder of Gambian Talents Promotion, organizations dedicated to strategic communications, media production, branding, marketing, and community engagement. With more than 15 years of experience in leadership, customer service, communications, branding, media, and organizational development, he brings a unique combination of entrepreneurial vision and business strategy to AMAS.

As Co-Founder and Managing Director of African Meals and Snacks (AMAS), Pa Ousman leads the company’s strategic direction, business development, branding, marketing, partnerships, communications, customer experience, and long-term growth. Working closely with his wife and Co-Founder, Amie Secka, and fellow Co-Founder Ida Bojang, he helped develop the AMAS business model, business plan, brand identity, and long-term vision. Together, they have built AMAS as a family-centered business dedicated to celebrating African culture through exceptional food and hospitality.

For Pa Ousman, AMAS is about more than building a successful company. It is about creating a lasting legacy for the next generation. Together with their children and Ida’s family, the founders are intentionally building a business where young people can learn entrepreneurship, leadership, teamwork, customer service, and cultural pride. Their hope is that AMAS will become a multigenerational family enterprise that continues preserving African culinary traditions and serving communities for decades to come.

Pa Ousman’s vision is to grow AMAS from a trusted catering company into a network of food trucks, restaurants, and, ultimately, an internationally recognized African food franchise that shares the authentic flavors and hospitality of West Africa across the United States and around the world.

“For the longest, I have been preserving our culture, bringing people together and telling our story through food. And now through AMAS, we are sharing the warmth of African hospitality with every community we serve-one meal at a time.”

Our Family Legacy

African Meals and Snacks (AMAS) is a family legacy rooted in faith, culture, friendship, and a shared dream.

Founded by Pa Ousman Joof, Amie Secka, and Ida Bojang, AMAS brings together two families united by a passion for authentic African cuisine and a commitment to preserving the traditions that have shaped generations before us. While Pa Ousman and Amie are husband and wife, Ida has long been a trusted friend who shares the same love for African food, hospitality, and community. Together, we have turned years of friendship, family recipes, and community service into a business with a purpose.

Our children are at the heart of this journey. They are not just watching from the sidelines-they are growing alongside us. From helping at festivals and community events to learning about customer service, teamwork, entrepreneurship, and the importance of serving others, they are becoming part of the AMAS story. Through this experience, we hope to pass on more than recipes. We hope to pass on values, work ethic, cultural pride, and a deep appreciation for the traditions of their African heritage.

We believe that preserving culture begins at home. Food is one of the most meaningful ways to connect generations, celebrate identity, and keep our traditions alive. By involving our children today, we are laying the foundation for a legacy that can continue long into the future-one that they can proudly inherit, grow, and share with generations yet to come.

Our vision extends far beyond serving great meals. We are building a family-owned business that we hope will endure for generations, creating opportunities for our children and future descendants while sharing the richness of African cuisine with communities across the United States and, one day, around the world.

At AMAS, every meal represents more than authentic flavors. It represents family, friendship, heritage, resilience, and the belief that food has the power to unite people across cultures and generations.

As Pa Ousman often says:

“Food has the power to tell our story, preserve our culture, and bring people together. Through AMAS, we are sharing the warmth of African hospitality with every community we serve-one meal at a time.”