A farm operation in the Cowichan Valley has stepped up to help bring a refugee family from Afghanistan to the region.
Cammy Lockwood, the Green 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 member of the staff at Lockwood Farms, a thriving operation that supplies fresh eggs to more than 8,000 people and provides organically grown vegetables to more than 400 families.
Aziz worked with Afghanistan’s Western-leaning government in a professional position before the country was taken over by the Taliban in 2021 and he was forced to flee to Pakistan with his wife, kids and parents in fear for their lives from the Islamic extremists who took control of their country, and they have been living in hiding there ever since.
If found, it’s feared they will be returned to Afghanistan and face Taliban justice.
Kubra Panahzada, the sister of Aziz who emigrated to the 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 has been working tirelessly to bring Aziz and his family and her parents to the region since she arrived here.
“This is my new home and I am safe here,” Panahzada said. “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.”
Panahzada 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’s thrilled to offer Aziz employment and is pleased to be in a position where Lockwood Farms can offer a job to someone who needs to relocate.
“The work we have available matches Mohammed Aziz's credentials which is very exciting to see,” Lockwood said. “For a long time, we have worked with internationals through volunteer work agreements, in which we provide room and board in exchange for labour, as well as temporary foreign worker programs, permanent residences, and now through refugee-employment sponsorship.”
Lockwood said immigrants like Aziz offer a unique perspective and they have been fundamental in the growth of Lockwood Farms.
“We welcome any help in this process as it does represent a significant cost to our business,” she said. “A community is needed to welcome a family and ensure that they have access to services and supports that Cowichan Valley can provide.”
Panahzada said now that her brother has found employment and a sponsor, the paperwork to bring Aziz and his family to the region has begun and she expects they will arrive sometime in the spring of 2025, depending on how fast Immigration Canada processes the family’s paperwork.
She said the next step is finding sponsors to help bring their parents over as well so they are not left alone in Pakistan.
If you would like to attend or give your time or a donation to the family to help cover costs and expenses, contact Panahzada at kpanahzada@gmail.com or phone 250-466-6884.
