THERE IS scarcely a country that can be called Utopia. In 1999, the United Nation's Human Development Index that has existed for 10 years rated Canada as No. 1 among 170 countries in standard of living, education and life expectancy, and over-all, as the best place to live. It was the sixth time Canada was given that honour. It is therefore reasonable to say it is the country that comes closest to this desirous state.

Undoubtedly, Canada is a wonderful place to live. It is not by accident that people from every corner of the globe have made it their home. Toronto's makeup of 160 different ethnic groups is a microcosm of this quilt of cultures. But as in other countries, Canada has its share of problems.

While all groups live in reasonable harmony, some of the newer communities are left struggling to survive in a new environment and alien culture. Those who emigrated to Canada by choice and qualified after a rigorous screening process are supposedly better prepared to take on the challenges of a new country. On the other hand, many refugees who were uprooted without plan or preparations as they fled war zones find the adjustment more difficult.

But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and if Canada wishes to maintain its enviable United Nations status, these weaker groups should be given more attention. The Somali community is one of these newer groups. Over the last 10 years, several thousand Somalis have come to Canada as refugees.

Situated in the Horn of Africa, the republic of Somalia is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the east and south, the Gulf of Aden on the north, Kenya on the southwest and Ethiopia on the west. It has a population of more than 7 million.

The country has been deluged with civil war and anarchy since 1991, when the central government was overthrown. Subsequent fighting among rival groups resulted in death, dislocation and starvation of thousands of Somalis, which precipitated military intervention by the United Nations. Now Somalis wait patiently to see developments after the recent election of their new president, Abdulkassim Salat Hassan, who promised, ``I will serve all the Somali people according to my ability.''

Here in Canada, the adjustment has not been easy for Somalis uprooted from a patriarchal family structure and the deep cultural ties embedded in the Muslim religion. They arrived here from a society that had a 24 per cent literacy rate as recently as 1990. Most came with little or no money, and little command of English.

Despite these odds, many have worked diligently to become successful. Eking out their own turf, about 50 Somali businesses line a stretch of Lawrence Ave. W. and Weston Rd. These include restaurants, grocery stores, travel agencies, clothing stores and money-wiring services.

Among them is Omar Kahin, an ambitious businessman who immigrated to Canada in 1989 equipped with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Poone University in India. (Many Somalis travel to India to study.) He worked his way through the system, progressing from a bank clerk's job to owning his own company.

At 35, as one of the more educated Somalis, he is one of three accountants in his community. But Kahin is not only an accountant to many of his countrymen; he is also their counsellor. He advises them on the importance of good credit records, how to pay bills on time, to resist owning too many credit cards, how to do tax planning, how to buy investments, including real estate, and how to create equity.

``The greatest difficulty in my community is family disintegration,'' Kahin laments. ``Why is this,'' I ask. He responds sadly, ``Families break up because of economic and social changes. The system is different here. Women get the welfare cheque and don't need men with attitude.''

Many of the men eventually leave and the women must bring up their children alone. When asked what he'd like to see done for Somalis, Kahin quickly states he is not a community activist, but he wants his community to succeed. He believes in equality and doesn't like how women are treated. ``I want to see my people integrate with Canadians and build their credit and businesses.''

Kahin's wish is probably similar to what other emerging groups want, but integration is not a simple matter. Citizens like him are invaluable in helping their communities, but a larger, more encompassing plan should be put in place by the powers that be.

Copyright Toronto Star 2000