Malta hears about the migration crisis regularly, but we so often forget about the human lives at the centre of it all.

Lovin Malta met one such human – Chef Cuba Gouem.

Yakuba Gouem, known to his friends in Malta as Cuba, came to Malta in 2004, seeking a better life after his father was murdered as part of political warfare in First Ivorian Civil War.

After finding himself in Malta, he worked as much as he could, determined to provide a better life for himself and his family. He eventually got a job as a dishwasher at Chukkas – and within a few years, had been promoted to Head Chef of the popular Marsa restaurant.

We spoke to Cuba as he looks back on his struggle to survive and the drive that got him to where he is today: secure, married and happy.

What did you make of Cuba’s story? Let us know in the comments below