A Syrian refugee and his family, who operate a popular chocolate business in Nova Scotia, are now doing what they can to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn country.
The United Nations High Commission estimates 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland -- meaning about every one-in-four citizens.
“We live in a place where we are privileged to not have to worry about a mortar rocket or an airstrike to hit our building where we are here in Canada,” says Tareq Hadhad, the owner of Peace by Chocolate, which has shops in Halifax and Antigonish, N.S.
At one time, that nightmare was Hadhad's reality.
He and his family fled civil war in Syria and spent three years in a Lebanese refugee camp.
“When I see all of those images, for me personally, it is very heart-wrenching, and it just brings back all those memories and I wish I never had,” Hadhad says.
He and his family came to Canada in 2016. Hadhad's father was a chocolatier in Damascus for 20 years before their facilities were bombed.
However, two decades of confection-making knowledge remained intact, and the store Peace by Chocolate was born in the Hadhads' new home of Nova Scotia.
Today, its flagship Halifax store has become the centre of a national campaign called "Peace for Ukraine" to raise money to support Ukrainian refugees.
“It’s incredible to see the support pouring out for Ukraine right now,” says employee Elie O’Neil.
One-hundred per cent of the proceeds from the sale of select chocolate bars and a special hot chocolate recipe recently added to the store's menu will go to the Canadian Red Cross.
“I just think it’s a very easy way for us to support a very good cause,” says customer Cindi MacNeill.
The Peace for Ukraine campaign started at the beginning of March with early goals of reaching $10,000. As of Tuesday, more than $50,000 had been collected.
Hadhad now has his sights set on raising $100,000.
“I really hope that we will reach a point where everyone knows that love is the answer and hate is the cancer,” he says.
Donations to the Peace for Ukraine campaign can be made here.
