Name: Arif Naimi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills

FULLY FUNDED

Living in: Jakarta, Indonesia

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Helper forced to Flee

After the Taliban killed his father for being an English teacher, Arif became their next target as the boy who brought books and notebooks to the school. He fled to Pakistan and started his life there. After surviving two terrorist attacks in Quetta, Pakistan, he fled to Indonesia by boat.

Arif has been living in a refugee camp in Jakarta. Despite facing many problems, he is still hopeful that he will be able to fulfill his dreams of being a nurse and helping the world. He hopes to find five Canadian friends who can sponsor him to come to Canada and start his life again.

A Love of Education

Arif Naimi was born in 1993, in a village in the Ghazni province in Afghanistan. His father was an English teacher at the local school. Arif used to bring books and notebooks from Ghazni to the school. The Taliban believe the English language is a language of infidels, and so Arif’s task was risky and was hidden from the Taliban.

Murdered for Teaching

On September 1, 2008, Arif’s father received a threatening letter written by the Taliban. Three days later, on the night of September 4, when Arif was in his aunt’s home, some members of the Taliban approached his home and took his father with them. They also found some documents that proved that Arif was the boy who brought supplies to the school.

The Taliban tortured his father and learned that there were other documents with Arif. Then, they killed his father and started looking for Arif. He was still hidden in his aunt’s home. When the Taliban came to his home and asked for him, they said that they would kill him if they found him. Two days later, one of his colleagues Ali Jan was captured and killed by the Taliban. Ali Jan’s family had power and, believing that Arif had given Ali Jan's information to the Taliban, they also became his enemy. Now it was not safe for him to stay in Afghanistan. Arif fled to Quetta, Pakistan, on September 11, 2008. After a week, he arranged to bring his family there as well with the help of his friend.

Unsafe in Pakistan

Arif and his family lived inside a mosque for two years. Then a man, Zalfiqar known as Haji Master, gave Arif work at his garment shop in Liaqat Bazaar, Quetta. Arif and his family also moved into Haji Master’s house.

The Hazara people in Pakistan have been targets of persecution and massacres due to their religious and political beliefs. In January 2015, a group of terrorists attacked the shops of Hazara people in Quetta.

“I survived by hiding from them, but I lost some of my friends.”

Arif survived another attack on the shop six days after the first attack, but Haji Master’s son was killed by the terrorist.

“I was so afraid and I wasn’t able to speak for a few days.”

Arif’s mother didn’t permit him to continue living in such a dangerous place. She borrowed some money from Haji Master and asked him to arrange a smuggler for Arif.

Limbo in Indonesia

In January 2016, Arif flew from Islamabad, Pakistan, to Bangkok, Thailand, and eventually arrived in Indonesia by boat in February 2016. After registering at the UNHCR office, he asked for help from immigration centres of Surabaya and Malang for months, but he was rejected by them. However, he started washing clothes and cooking food for some refugees and, in return, he got food and a place to sleep.

Finally, in July 2019, he and some other refugees moved in front of the UNHCR office and they were brought to a shelter where he is still living,

Dreaming of Nursing

Life is difficult for Arif. He is worried about his family, who are still vulnerable to attack in Pakistan. As a refugee, he is unable to help them. The best way he can honour his family is to follow his dreams.

Arif has always dreamed of being a nurse and helping the world, but he cannot follow his dream until he gets resettled in Canada.

“I hope to be helped by kind people and have a life where I can follow my dreams and help the world.”

Arif has wanted to be a nurse since he was child. His cousin owned a medical store and he would go just to be there. He wants to help people as much as he can. Arif also enjoys working on cars and car engines.

There is a way

As a UNHCR refugee, Arif is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. there is a way for him to fulfill his dream and continue helping the world. All he needs is to be sponsored by a group of five Canadian friends. Arif has full-funding in place, so no fundraising is needed.

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

You can also reach out to Arif Naimi directly on Facebook.

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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