Photo credit: Victoria News
A farm operation in the Cowichan Valley has stepped in to help bring a refugee family from Afghanistan to the region.
Sooke News Mirror reports that Cammy Lockwood, the Green party candidate for the Cowichan Valley in the provincial election in October, has hired Mohammed Aziz, the patriarch of an Afghan family with three young children, as a staff member at Lockwood Farms. Lockwood Farms is a thriving operation that supplies fresh eggs to over 8,000 people and organically grown vegetables to more than 400 families.
Aziz was working with Afghanistan’s Western-learning government in a professional position before the country was overtaken by the Taliban in 2021. He was thus forced to flee to Pakistan with his wife, kids, and parents in fear for their lives from Islamic extremists who took control of the country, and they have been living there since. They were in hiding because if found, they might be returned to Afghanistan to face Taliban justice.
Aziz’s sister, Kubra Panahzada, who emigrated to Cowichan Valley along with her husband and young son earlier this year, was also a refugee from Afghanistan who escaped the Taliban when the family was accepted to come to Canada. She assisted Aziz, his family, and her parents in the region.
She said, “This is my new home, and I am safe here. I love the feeling of safety when waking up every morning. I am so grateful walking free, safe, with dignity around Duncan. The one thing I dream about is that my brother, his wife, their children and my parents could also be safe. My brother is educated, and his English is good. Coming to Canada through the employment pathway was the best option.”
She told her story at a recent Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce function, after which Lockwood offered her brother a job at Lockwood Farm.
Lockwood said she is excited to offer Aziz employment and is pleased to be in a position where Lockwood Farms can provide a job for someone who needs to relocate. She said immigrants like Aziz offer a unique perspective and have been fundamental in Lockwood Farms’ growth.
She said, “We welcome any help in this process as it does represent a significant cost to our business. A community is needed to welcome a family and ensure that they have access to services and supports that Cowichan Valley can provide.”
Pranahzada said that with her brother finding employment and a sponsor, the paperwork to bring him and his family to the region has begun. She expects they will arrive sometime in the spring of 2025. Her next step is to find sponsors to help bring their parents over, so they are not left alone in Pakistan.
