Name: Jawed

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, experience in construction and house painting.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Jawed had an electronic shop in his village. He was threatened twice to leave his shop, and his goods of his shop were also burned down by the Taliban. Knowing that he was no longer safe there, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

While living there, he spent 3 years inside a detention centre, and he has been worried for his 3 daughters and wife who are left in Afghanistan. His hope now is to find a group of friends who can help him start his life again in Canada.

Childhood

Jawed was born in January 1990 in Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. As a child, he worked with his father in painting houses. Unfortunately, his father died in 2006.

Threatened

Later on, Jawed became a business partner with his friend Rahmat. They both had an electronic shop at which they were selling TV, satellite dishes, antenna and other electric items.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education.

In March 2014, Jawed received a threatening letter from the Taliban in which he was threatened to stop selling TV, satellite dishes and other electric items, because according to the Taliban, selling these items was a major sin.

Two months later, he received another threatening letter.

“In the second letter, I was threatened to death by the Taliban. I had no choice because all my investments were invested at the shop and it was the only work, I was good at.”

Escaping

In June 2014, Jawed went to Kabul and sent goods for his shop by a truck. On the way, his goods were burned down by the Taliban. Jawed knew that he would be captured and killed by the Taliban if he remained in the country, so he arranged for a people smuggler, and on June 28, 2014, he flew to New Delhi, India where he stayed for 3 days. Then, he flew to Malaysia and then on to Indonesia by boat.

Life in Indonesia

After arriving in Jakarta, he registered himself at the UNHCR office on October 2, 2014.

Since he did not have the right to work or way to support himself in Indonesia, he went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. In November 2015, he was transferred to a detention centre in Pekanbaru which was overcrowded and he did not have access to proper food, enough water and a decent place to sleep.

“I was uncertain of my freedom and it was the toughest time for me.”

After spending 3 years inside the detention centre, he received his freedom and was transferred to a community house in Batam in November 2018.

Last Word

Since the Taliban have taken over Afghanistan, Jawed is very worried for his 3 daughters and wife who are left there.

“My only option to be able to get a permanent solution is to be resettled in Canada where I can work, support my family and move forward with my life.”

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

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

You can also reach out to Jawed 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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