SACO – Abdi Ahmad of Westbrook, formerly of Somalia, is using years of hard work and some assistance from the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland to start a new chapter of his life in Maine.

Ahmad, 34, opened the Shamo Dollar Store in Saco last week, and is hoping the new business is a lifting off point that could lead to other possibilities.

In 2011, along with his wife Ayan Said and their five children, Ahmad became a homeowner in Westbrook through the Habitat for Humanity homeowner program, and said he is forever grateful for the support of the organization and its volunteers.

All applicants for the organization’s homeowner program are screened using the criteria of housing need, ability to afford home ownership and willingness to partner, and are expected to invest a minimum of 275 hours of “sweat equity” volunteering on Habitat projects.

Ahmad came to Maine in 2001 from Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, due to ongoing fighting in the country. He said his family is now dispersed in a range of locations, including Europe and Canada, but that he still keeps in contact with them.

Prior to starting this new venture, he worked for seven years at Idexx Laboratories, and recently received an associate’s degree from Southern Maine Community College’s composites technology program. According to Ahmad, the Shamo Dollar Store, in the Saco Valley Shopping Center, is named after a former family business in Somalia.

Ahmad talked this week about starting over in a new country, working with Habitat for Humanity, and how a small business can turn to bigger things.

Q: What were the difficulties of relocating to the United States? Did you leave behind family in Somalia?

A: We are all split around the world. My mother and brother are in Europe, in the UK, and I have cousins and uncles in Canada.

Q: Maine has a growing Somalian population. When you came here, was it easier knowing there was already a Somalian community?

A: I knew some people but I didn’t know what to expect. When I came, I was in Portland. Before I came, my father was a biochemist, and my uncle was a dentist. Most of my family were businesspeople. The Somalian population living in Lewiston seemed to be from more of an agricultural or farming background.

Q: How did you get involved with Habitat for Humanity? What was the process like in becoming a Habitat “homeowner?”

A: I became involved first under the volunteer option, but I found out that they helped in finding homes, and I applied. They helped me achieve my goal of having a home, they are very good people. We worked with a group of students and community organizers, and they help people achieve their goals. I would not have had the chance to save for a business.

Q: How did the program assist you in your next venture, which was opening a business?

A: I was saving every penny I could save to achieve the store, and the monthly payments with the home matched my budget for saving, as well. There is a place in my heart for Habitat for Humanity. They are very organized, and most of them are volunteers.

Q: Tell me about the Shamo Dollar Store in Saco. What was your inspiration for opening a retail business?

A: I worked for nine years and saved every penny I could. If we grow, maybe we can see what other options I have. It’s the land of opportunity so I have to grab the opportunities when they come.

Q: Do you feel that there is a need for this type of discount retail in the Saco area?

A: The location, geographically is good. There are other similar stores in Biddeford, but there seems to be a need in the area. I’m outside my community of Portland and Westbrook, but I’m comfortable in Saco. They welcomed us.

Q: The grand opening of the Shamo Dollar Store was last week. What kind of feedback have you received so far?

A: Up to now, all our customers have been great. They have told me that they’re excited to have a dollar store at this location. There used to be a similar store in this area, so people seem excited to have one back in Saco Valley.

Q: What does Shamo mean? What kinds of items do you offer there?

A: In Somalia, my family owned a pharmaceutical business called Shamo, and I thought I would use the name here. We have greeting cards, gift bags, toys, sunglasses, kitchen items, tools, and plenty more, all available for a dollar.

Abdi Ahmad of Westbrook, who came to the United States from Somalia in 2001, opened Shamo Dollar Store in Saco last week. “I worked for nine years and saved every penny I could,” he said.