Name: Ali Khan Qaderi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, future electrician.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Ali Khan Qaderi’s father was an Afghan Army Personnel. After his father was killed by the Taliban, he was their next target. Luckily, his uncle sent him to Kabul before the Taliban could have raided his home to find and kill him.

Knowing that he was at risk of being killed, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014. Since then, he has been stuck in a state of limbo. Ali Khan dreams to become an electrician one day. He needs a group of Canadian friends who can help him start his life again in Canada where he can live with freedom and pursue his dream.

His Story

Ali Khan Qaderi was born in January 1999, in Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. His village Dahmardah Gulzar is surrounded by Pashtun villages. It has only one border with the Hazara area named Pato which links the villagers with the rest of the Hazara territories.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. On the other hand, Ali Khan’s father was an Afghan National Army. Once a month, he used to return to the village and spend a night off duty with his family. Since their village was surrounded by the Pashtun areas, Ali Khan’s father used to travel in the darkness of the night to be safe from the Taliban.  

In October 2014, while returning home, his car was intercepted by the Taliban on the way. He was distinctively taken off the car and was shot continuously in front of other passengers.

A few days later, the passengers who witnessed the attack, informed Ali Khan’s family and villagers regarding his father’s brutal murder by the Taliban.

“We were still grieving the tragic death of my father when the Taliban raided our village.”

Leaving Home

Members of the Taliban asked people for the location of Ali Khan’s home. They also asked if his father had an older son so that they could kill him too.

                        “It meant that they were looking for me.”

Luckily, Ali Khan’s paternal uncle came to know of the Taliban’s raid and he immediately reached Ali Khan’s home. After his uncle told his mother about the raid, they decided to take Ali Khan out of the village to save his life.

The Way

Ali Khan’s uncle took him to the neighboring village Pato on a motorcycle where he stayed hidden for two nights. His uncle then took him to Kabul by car. It was not possible for Ali Khan to continue living peacefully in Afghanistan. He had no way but to leave his country and seek a safe place. After his uncle arranged for a people smuggler, he was sent to New Delhi, India by plane on November 6, 2014. From there, he was brought to Malaysia by plane and then on to Pekanbaru, Indonesia by boat on November 13, 2014.

Life in Indonesia

After arriving in Jakarta, Ali Khan registered himself with the UNHCR on November 18, 2014.

Due to not having the right to work or way to support himself in the new country, Ali Khan went to Balikpapan Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. He was then kept inside the immigration centre for 1 year. Since he was a minor, he got transferred to a shelter for unaccompanied minors in Makassar on December 14, 2015.

In 2017, Ali Khan was transferred to a community house in Makassar. Since then, he has been living there.

His Dreams

Ali Khan has been living in a state of limbo since 2014. As a refugee, he cannot work, get proper education, drive and even open a bank account. His dream is to become an electrician one day. He says:

“I came to Indonesia in search of a safe place, but I have been stuck here and cannot do anything. I hope to be helped by kind Canadian friends to start my life in beautiful Canada where I can pursue my dream to become an electrician one day.”

As a UNHCR refugee, Ali Khan is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. He needs a group of five Canadian friends to support him.

To help support him as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Ali Khan directly on Facebook – or through WhatsApp: +62 812-4585-4305.

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

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