Name: Enayat Hesari

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, volunteer painting teacher.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Needed: A group of five friends to support him.

Enayat was a stationery shop owner and he got injured in an attack by the Taliban. Luckily, he survived and fled to Indonesia to save his life.

While living inside the detention centre, he learned painting and started volunteering as a painting teacher for his refugee fellows. His hope now is to find a group of Canadian friends who can help him start his life again in Canada.

His Story

Enayat was born in January 1992, in Nawur district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. He was 17 years old when he left school because the Taliban exploded the school. Later on, he had to help his father to support the family, so he opened a stationery shop where he used to sell books. Also, he used to work as a videographer.

Enayat’s father was a soldier and his brother was a university student in Kabul. On September 8, 2012, his father and brother were intercepted by the Taliban while returning home. While searching their pockets, the Taliban found his father’s Identity card and they killed him. Enayat’s brother was also killed while trying to protect his father.

“It was a very tragic incident that had happened to my family. We lost two members on one day.”

Attacked and Taken

Two years later on October 2, 2014, he was at his shop when the Taliban attacked him and he fainted due to getting injured his neck. According to the Taliban, selling books or videography is against the rules of Islam.

“When I opened my eyes, I found myself at a hospital.”

Enayat could not work for two months. After his recovery, he was going to shop when the Taliban stopped him on the way on December 14, 2014. Enayat was blindfolded and taken to a room in an unknown place where three more prisoners were kept. They knew that sooner or later they would be killed by the Taliban, so they decided to escape from there. In the middle of the night, they got out of the room and kept running away.

“On the way, I lost the other prisoners, but I kept running for 30 minutes until I reached the highway.”

Journey to Indonesia

Enayat was dropped in Kabul by a truck and he stayed hidden in a hotel. The next day, he contacted his mother and told her what had happened. His mother told him not to return to the village because the Taliban had been searching the village to find Enayat. His mother then contacted a relative who had been living in Kabul, and he helped Enayat arrange for a people smuggler who could take him out of Afghanistan. On January 2, 2015, he flew to New Delhi, India and stayed there for 8 days. From there he went to Singapore by plane and then on to Indonesia on January 10, 2015.

Detention Centre

On January 13, 2015, Enayat registered himself with the UNHCR in Jakarta. Due to not having the right to work or way to support himself in the new country, he went to Makassar Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. He slept for two weeks on the roadside and faced the harsh behavior of immigration officers. On February 24, 2015, he was transferred to a detention centre that was overcrowded and refugees had to sleep in tents there. At first, Enayat was anxious and depressed due to being behind the walls and barbed wires.

“The bad behavior of security guards was very disturbing and frustrating.”

To overcome the stress, Enayat joined an English language class conducted by other refugee volunteers and a painting class that was conducted by the IOM. After learning the skill, Enayat started volunteering as a painting teacher for his refugee fellows.

His Freedom

After spending more than 3 years inside the detention centre, he was freed and was transferred to a community house in Makassar on August 27, 2018.

“I was so happy that finally, I had a bit of freedom after years but it was for a few days. I found out that we had a curfew and were subjected to unnecessary rules.”

The Last Word!

As a refugee, Enayat cannot get proper education, work, drive and travel to another city. He hopes to resettle in a safe country like Canada where he can fulfill his dreams and live with freedom.

“My ambition is to continue my study, and improve my painting skills.”

As a UNHCR refugee, Enayat is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

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

You can also reach out to Enayat directly on Facebook – or by email: enayathesary12@gmail.com.

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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