Name: Abdul Hamid Akhlaqi, his wife Zahra and their daughter Yagana (9).

Profile: Hamid is a Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia and his family is living in Afghanistan.

Advantages: UN-certified, excellent English skills, experienced car mechanic, barber, constructor and therapist.

Risk: At risk of being tortured and killed by the Taliban if returned home.

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Abdul Hamid's journey began in Afghanistan in 1991. After his father passed away, he became the family's main support, working as a driver and barber. Fleeing threats from the Taliban, he traveled through India, and Malaysia, and arrived in Indonesia. Despite challenges, he learned skills in auto mechanics, English, and therapy.

Now, he dreams of a better life in Canada with his family. He's searching for a group of five kind-hearted Canadian friends to help sponsor their journey. Hamid's skills in mechanics, therapy, and haircutting show his determination. His story reflects resilience and hope in the face of uncertainty.

His Story

Abdul Hamid was born in January 1991, in the Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. In addition to attending school, he also worked as a barber. At the age of 15, tragedy struck when his father passed away, leaving him with the responsibility of caring for his family. To support them, he started working as a driver.  

In March 2014, an opportunity arose for him to join a promotional election campaign. He was tasked with transporting posters from Ghazni to Jaghori for a fee of 7,000 Afghan Rupees. During this journey, he encountered two Taliban members who attempted to stop his car.

“I knew that if I stopped the car, I would be killed by the Taliban, so I had to take a chance and escape to save my life.”

Recognizing the grave danger, Abdul Hamid made a split-second decision. Rather than stopping, he accelerated, narrowly avoiding the members of the Taliban who opened fire on his vehicle. Unfortunately, some of the posters were lost along the way. Hamid reached the campaign location and explained everything to the campaign leader.

Threatened

Unfortunately, the candidate of the area (Hamid Ullah Danish) did not believe him. He threatened and accused Hamid of being involved with the opponent party. Abdul Hamid had now threat from the Taliban and the candidate who had power in the area. Since he had escaped from the Taliban, he knew that sooner or later, he would be captured and killed by them, so he decided to leave the country immediately. His maternal uncle sent him to Kabul and helped him arrange for a people smuggler.  

Life in Indonesia

On April 7, 2014, Hamid flew to New Delhi, India. From there, he went to Malaysia and then on to Medan, Indonesia by boat on June 3, 2014.

After arriving in Jakarta, Hamid registered himself with the UNHCR on June 7, 2014, and started living in Bogor.

With no right to work or way to support himself, Hamid went to Manado Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. On September 21, 2015, he was transferred to a detention centre in Manado. While living there, he participated in an auto mechanic learning skills program conducted by Jersuit Refugee Service (JRS) and successfully received a certificate. Also, he kept learning English there.

Freedom

Finally, in February 2018, Hamid received his freedom and was transferred to a community house in Tanjung Pinang where he learned new skills like construction work and haircutting. On September 30, 2021, he was transferred to a community house in Jakarta. Since then, he has been living there. Despite facing restrictions like not being allowed to work, get a proper education and even open a bank account, Hamid learned therapy and now he has been voluntarily working at a bone therapy centre. He says:

   “I love it when I help my refugee fellows with my therapy skills.”

His Dreams

Abdul Hamid's aspirations extend beyond his journey. He dreams of resettling in a third country like Canada, where he can further develop his skills, contribute to society, and provide a better future for his wife, Zahra, and daughter, Yagana, who remain in Afghanistan.

There is a way for him to reunite with his family in Canada where they can live together and with freedom. Since Hamid is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – he and his family qualify for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

If you would like to sponsor them – or if you’re just interested in helping to bring them here – please contact their friend Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can reach out to Abdul Hamid by email: hamidalmitoo@gmail.com – or through WhatsApp: +62 821-1004-3700.

Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a good person to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!

Thank you for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!