How an Afghan supermarket chain in Hamilton is helping newcomers find work

After immigrating from Pakistan to Toronto in July 2001 in hopes of building a better life and future, Mir‐ ways Babakarkhail worked odd jobs at factories and moving companies.

But his visits to friends who lived in Hamilton and worked in Jackson Square mall changed the Afghan man's life.

People came up to him and asked, "'Can you bring traditional Afghan rice and bread for me,'" Babakarkhail said.

"So I started - one day, two day, three days a week to bring food for them to help them."

In September 2005, Babakarkhail took a chance and opened a small store in the city's core - Samir Super‐ market, a 1,000-square-foot grocery location named after his son that sold a range of traditional Asian groceries.

His intuition paid off. The shop was a success and he moved it to its current loca‐ tion in Stoney Creek.

Seeing increased demand and a growing Afghan com‐ munity, Babakarkhail eventu‐ ally opened a store on the

Mountain and another in Burlington, Ont.

Last week, he marked the opening of his fourth shop just in time for the end of Ra‐ madan and for Eid al-Fitr cel‐ ebrations on Wednesday.

Babakarkhail said it gets very busy this time of year, adding that many shoppers buy up all the sweets and dried foods.

'This is my first job': dozens of newcomers employed

The new 15,000--square-foot location is nestled in the city's downtown area at 20 George St., just blocks from Jackson Square.

It's a nod to the chain's humble beginnings, and has a halal butcher to offer cus‐ tomers custom cuts of meat and Samir-branded items like authentic imported rice.

Babakarkhail - who also runs a separate Samir Kabab business - said a downtown store was needed because "a lot of our communities are here and most of them do not have a car."

Along the way, Babakarkhail brought on Mo‐ hammad Asghar as a coowner to help expand the business.

Asghar said he met Babakarkhail at Samir's.

"I was a customer," As‐ ghar said.

Asghar isn't the only new‐ comer who is part of the chain.

Babakarkhail and Asghar said they make an effort to hire newcomers because many struggle to find work when they first arrive in Canada.

When the new store was announced, Asghar said, over 100 people applied for work, most of them newcomers.

Now there are some 46 em‐ ployees at the downtown lo‐ cation.

Zohra Karimi said she spent three months looking for work before she started at Samir's.

"This is my first job … I'm so happy," said Karimi, who immigrated from Afghanistan half a year ago. She said the chain's success is "a success for all Afghan and Muslim people."

Babakarkhail and Asghar said he encourages his work‐ ers to learn English, get an education and work hard to pursue their dreams.

Babakarkhail said the goal is to open stores in cities across the province. He's set‐ ting his sights next on Guelph, London, Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Catharines,

Brantford and Milton, he said.

Babakarkhail and Asghar said it's not about the money - it's to make it easier for people travelling from other cities to visit the store.

"That's why I have to help," Babakarkhail said.