LEILA AKHTARY

Leila Akhtary came to Canada via Pakistan 25 years ago with her husband, who was chief of police in Kabul before the Russians took over, and their six children. Here he sold vacuum cleaners and she, a teacher in Kabul, took in alternations. Thanks to their sacrifice, their children are now all professionals. Of the other women in the co-op, she says, “They are all my sisters.”

Image credit: Gregory Crow