Name: Masood Akbari

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, graduated from university, civil society activist especially for women’s rights on YouTube and Twitter, affiliate marketer, graphic designer, successfully got CISCO certificate, 4 years of experience working as a logistic, administration and survey assistant with Omran Holding Group (Construction Company - Contractor of US Army Corps of Engineering in Afghanistan), FULLY FUNDED.

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 sponsor him.

His YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MixMediaChannel

Due to working with Omran Holding Group which had contracts with the US Army Corps, the Taliban attacked Masood’s home and got his information including his picture. Knowing that he was at risk of being killed by the Taliban, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

While living in Indonesia, he has helped many refugees by interpreting for them. His hope now is to find a group of Canadian friends who can help him start his life again in Canada.

Early Life

Masood Akbari was born in 1989, in a village in the Qarabagh district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. The village, Masood had been living in, was under the Taliban’s control. After he graduated from Herat University, he started working with Omran Holding Group, a construction and engineering company that had contracts with the US Army Corps of Engineering in different cities and projects.

Experiences

• From 2010 – 2012, he worked in Herat province as a Logistic.

• From 2011 – 2012, he worked in Helmand province (Camp Shorabak) as an Administrator.

• From 2012 – 2014, he worked in Herat province as a Site Admin.

• From April 2014 till July 25, 2014, he worked in Paktia province as a Survey Assistant.

The Incidents

During his work in Shorabak Camp in Helmand province which was the US Project, the camp was attacked two times by the Taliban, and the staff members including Masood escaped to the Military Camp to save their life.

On July 25, 2014, Masood decided to go home to celebrate Eid al-Adha with his family. When he arrived in Ghazni, his cousin (maternal uncle’s son) reached there and told him that the Taliban came to Masood’s home the last night and they took all his documents and pictures. He also learned from taxi drivers that the Taliban had been searching every car going to Jaghori and they had been asking everyone about Masood by showing his picture.

“I was very terrified, and I decided to leave the country as soon as possible.”

Since the Taliban had come to know about his job, and they had his information and pictures, they could easily find him from any corner of the country and kill him. He had to leave the country immediately to save his life.

The Way to Indonesia

His cousin took him to Kabul hiddenly where he stayed hidden in a room. After his cousin arranged for a people smuggler, he flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India on August 8, 2014, and stayed there for 3 days. From there, he was brought to Malaysia by plane where he stayed for 5 days. On August 15, 2014, he arrived in Pekanbaru by boat.

Detention Centre

With no right to work or way to support himself, Masood went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. He was then locked along with many refugees inside a small room there.

On September 05, 2014, he got registered with the UNHCR there. He was then transferred to a detention centre in Surabaya on May 15, 2015.

“In the detention centre, we were being treated like prisoners. I was locked in a room with 10 refugees and we were not allowed to go out of the room.”

While living there, he kept himself busy improving his English skills, reading books, helping refugees by interpreting for them in medical services and playing volleyball.

“My activities helped me not to give up.”

On March 8, 2016, Masood was officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR and he was transferred to a community house in Surabaya.

His Situation in Indonesia

After getting his freedom from the detention centre, he had hope for a better life.

He started using his athletic skills like, exercising and teaching Taekwondo to school students voluntarily. Also, he kept interpreting for his refugee fellows in medical situations.

Like other refugees, Masood has been deprived of his basic human rights. He can’t work, study, drive and travel to other cities.

“Day by day, I am becoming hopeless due to my indecisive situation in Indonesia.”

He has left all his activities and is suffering from stress and insomnia.

Human Right Activist

Because of injustice and corruption in his Country, Masood has started raising voices for justice, women’s rights and Hazara’s situation in Afghanistan.

Now, many people trust him. They watch his podcast programs and ask him not to stop his activities. Since the Taliban have imposed restrictions on Afghan media, many Afghans, especially women, call him and explain their situation under the Taliban regime.

His Dreams

Masood’s dream is to live in a peaceful Country like Canada where he can start his new life again, support his family and help others. He wants to continue his activities on social media for justice, women's rights and educational programs.

The Opportunity

He can't pursue his dreams in Indonesia due to the restrictions he has been facing.

Since Masood is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – he qualifies for Canada’s private sponsorship program. Another good thing about him is that he is FULLY FUNDED. All he needs is to be sponsored by a group of five Canadian friends.

If you would like to sponsor him – or if you’re just interested in helping to bring him here – please contact his friend Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can reach out to Masood directly on Facebook – or by email: masoodmath2@gmail.com – or through WhatsApp: +62 857-8571-0583.

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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