Author: Heidi Wigdahl
Tuesday September 26, 2023
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre presented Abdirahman Kahin with an award recognizing the business owner's contributions.
MINNEAPOLIS — Abdirahman Kahin, founder and owner of Afro Deli & Grill, has received a lot of accolades since launching his first restaurant in 2010.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration named Kahin the 2023 National Small Business Person of the Year.
Sunday night, Kahin received another surprise — this time from the Somali prime minister."I didn't know what was going to happen until they called me to receive an award on behalf of the Somali community in Minnesota. So I was chosen to be the person highlighted of the work that thousands of East African, Somalis, are doing in the state of Minnesota," Kahin said.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre presented Kahin with an award that stated, "In recognition of your outstanding achievements, dedication to community engagement and job creation. I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your outstanding contributions. Your accomplishments are a source of pride for all of us, and we look forward to witnessing your continued success in the years to come."
Afro Deli now has four locations in the Twin Cities and this year made its Minnesota State Fair debut.
"The Somali government relies also on the Somali diaspora in the United States. So they watch closely our activities and for him, coming to the state of Minnesota was huge step," said Kahin. "I think that was one of the highlights of the night to be recognized on behalf of the community."
Barre made a historic visit to Minnesota over the weekend. He is the first sitting prime minister of Somalia to visit the state. A packed ballroom at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bloomington gave him a warm welcome late Sunday night. Minnesota is home to the largest population of Somali Americans.
"The most united event that we ever organized in Minnesota," Kahin said.
Barre addressed the crowd, discussing the country's fight against Al-Shabab. For more than 15 years, the terrorist organization has controlled parts of Somalia.
Kahin described Barre's speech as hopeful and added, "For him to come to Minnesota and call everyone to be part of that fight against the terrorist was huge. So for the first time, one of the first... one of the biggest events that I remember where all community are united to support was this event."