About Menbere Aklilu
Menbere Aklilu, philanthropist, advocate against domestic violence, and owner of Salute e Vita Ristorante in Richmond, California. She is a survivor of family violence as a young child in Ethiopia and later faced abuse from her former husband while living in Italy. After finding refuge at the Mother Teresa Shelter for Women in Rome where she gave birth to her son Menbe rebuilt her life for herself and her son in Contra Costa County. Today she makes significant impacts in our community through her inspiration and generosity to those in need. Menbere has become a sought-after speaker internationally on the topic of violence against women.
Menbe's Early Life
Menbere (Menbe to her friends) Aklilu was born in Gojjam, Ethiopia. She was orphaned at the age of ten after seeing her mother gunned down by an angry customer. She was raised by her older brother Messele and worked briefly as an actress before being lured by a director who promised her stardom in Italy.
Her relationship with him became abusive, as evidenced by a scar on her face where she was burned with a lit cigarette. Homeless, destitute and pregnant at age 22, she took refuge in a women’s shelter. This shelter was run by Mother Teresa’s Nuns. She later gave birth to her son Christian in this shelter.
Menbe summoned the will to restart her life, earned a living and moved to the united states. She was welcomed to the East Bay by her nieces. A chance meeting with Salute E Vita’s owner brought her the offer of a $7-an-hour hostess job in 1995. Menbe had worked her way up to manager by the time the restaurant was put up for sale in 2002. A concerned customer, worried bout her future, offered to loan her the money to purchase the restaurant. Menbe repaid the five year loan in just 11 months.