Shahpour Sobhani

I'm out of a large group of siblings. Already as a child, I was very focused on my school, and I have always worked hard to achieve the goals I set.

When I told my mother that I wanted to leave Iran because I didn’t want my life to be wasted with three years of military service and war, she began to cry. "But try to understand" I said, "you have nine children, out of which I'm number seven." "Yes, my son," she replied, "but one day you will understand that every flower has its own scent." Today I have my own family here. And yes, I understand that kind of love now.

I set myself the goal that within five years, I wanted to become a pharmacist. I applied for a vacant license in Copenhagen, but there were more applicants than licenses. In 2010, there was a vacant one in Aabenraa. At the time, I didn't know one single person there.

For me, being a pharmacist is special. The pharmacist has many different tasks within the healthcare sector. It is about the health of the patients and the health of the customers. So, for me it is important to treat every single customer with respect. I enjoy standing at the counter, and use my professionalism to help the people I meet in everyday life.

I do not feel foreign, but foreignness always depends on who you meet. Occasionally I can meet prejudice hinting that someone with my background cannot achieve what I did. But my experience is that no matter where you come from, it is about what comes from one self. If you are a considerate person, you always get something back.

Shahpour Sobhani / 54 / male / married / two children / pharmacist / Aabenraa/ Kurdish from Iran / came to Denmark late 1985 / residence permit 1986