Name: Hussain Karimi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, experienced carpet weaver and shopkeeper, volunteer librarian, FULLY FUNDED

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Hussain Karimi was a child when his father was killed by the Taliban and his family fled to Pakistan to save their life. But Hussain and his family were not safe there as well. After his mother got killed in a bomb blast and he survived two terrorist attacks in Pakistan, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

Hussain has been deprived of his basic human rights since 2014. He is now living in a community house where he is a volunteer librarian. His passion is to become an IT Technician one day and he hopes to find a group of friends to bring him to Canada where he can pursue his dreams.

Childhood

Hussain Karimi was born in January 1997, in a village of the Ghazni province in Afghanistan.

When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, they killed Hussain’s father. According to his mother, Hussain was only 3-4 years old, when his family escaped to Pakistan to save their life. Hussain used to work as a carpet weaver when he was only 8 years old. Later on, he owned a stationery shop.

Losing His Mother

The Hazara people in Pakistan have been targets of persecution and massacres due to their religious and political beliefs.

On February 16, 2013, Hussain and his mother were at home when a huge blast happened in Hazara Town. The blast site was near his home and his mother got critically injured by pieces of the windows. Hussain’s voice and ears were also affected due to the blast.

“I was panicking and did not know what to do. I ran out and found an ambulance to take my mother to the hospital. Her head was badly injured and the doctors could not save her life.”

After a month of being in the hospital, his mother died. Hussain was alone and depressed, and he could not sleep for nights. With the passage of time, he started to recover and after a few months, he returned to his previous job of carpet weaving.

The Incident

On June 4, 2014, Hussain went to Bazaar to buy carpet materials, and his friend also went with him to bring something for his motorcycle.

“My friend was ahead and I was following him when suddenly, gunshots began. I quickly went into the shop where I had purchased carpet materials.”

After the gunshots stopped, Hussain went back to his home lonely because his friend had been killed in that attack. This incident affected Hussain mentally, and he was no more feeling safe there. He knew that he would be killed if he stayed in Pakistan, so he arranged for a people smuggler, and he flew from Quetta to Karachi. Then he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Indonesia by boat on August 14, 2014.

Life as a Detainee

On August 19, 2014, he registered himself at the UNHCR office in Jakarta. Due to not having the right to work or way to support himself in Indonesia, he went to Makassar Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. Then he was transferred to a detention centre in Surabaya on January 30, 2015.

“I was locked in a room with 9 refugees and we were not allowed to go out of the room.”

Hussain did not have anything to sleep on. He and other refugees got pimples on their whole bodies. Since they did not have access to proper medical care, they suffered from stomach aches and headaches.

While living in the detention centre, he kept himself busy in doing exercise, learning Bahasa and English language and making handicrafts.

Present Day

On December 2, 2016, Hussain received his freedom from the detention centre and was transferred to a community house in Surabaya. He receives only $85 to 90$ per month with which he should buy food and cover other essentials too.

Like other refugees, Hussain has been deprived of his basic human rights. He cannot work, study, drive and travel to another city.

Still Suffering

He has been suffering from hemorrhoids since he came to Indonesia, and he sometimes bleeds. He has asked IOM to treat him, but they have only taken him to the doctor who gives him medications which are for a short time. He needs surgery to recover fully.

“I think my illness is caused by the stress of living in a very bad situation in the detention centre where I and other refugees were treated like criminals.”

Despite all his problems and the illness he is suffering from, he is a librarian in the community house he is living in.

His Dreams

Hussain has studied graphic design and CCNA (An Entry-Level Networking Certification).

“I love to improve my IT skills and it is my dream.”

His dream cannot be fulfilled while living in Indonesia as a refugee. He believes that he will find a group of kind people who can help him resettle in Canada.

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

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

You can also reach out to Hussain 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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