Name: Mohammad Asef Sadiqi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia since October 2014.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, experienced as a hairdresser, construction worker and Plumber, FULL FUNDING.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Needed: A group of five friends to sponsor him=

Asef (a Hazara man) worked in a private company that was involved with the government sector, in one of the most dangerous cities in Afghanistan. His work was not acceptable to the Taliban. When the Taliban noticed his work and attempted to capture him, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014 to save his life.

Asef spent 3 years in a detention centre for the crime of fleeing for his life. Since arriving in Indonesia, he has volunteered for almost 7 years in helping refugees as a hairdresser inside and outside the detention centre, and it’s time to help him now! He needs a group of five Canadian friends who can bring him to Canada where he can pursue his passion.

His Early Life

Asef was born in 1994 in a village in the Malistan district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. As a child, he dreamed of being educated and contributing to society; he was happy living with his parents as well as continuing his education. He finished high school in 2013.

In early 2014, he started working as a laborer to feed his family and to stand gain financial independence. His employer was involved with the government which made Asef the Taliban’s enemy.

Survival or Death

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

On the night of August 8, 2014, members of the Taliban raided Asef’s house in order to capture him.

“When the door was knocked, my brother went to open that. I was looking from the window and saw a number of armed persons who arrested my brother. I figured out that they were the Taliban and I was very afraid.”

Asef escaped from his house and after some hours, his mother contacted him and told him that the Taliban were looking for him, and they had taken his brother with them as retaliation and they had beaten his family for not disclosing Asef's location. He had no choice but to flee - the next day, he fled to Kabul.

He had to make sure that he was hidden, otherwise, he would be caught and killed by the Taliban. Out of desperation, his cousin arranged some money by any means possible so that he could head somewhere to be safe.

The Dangerous Way to Indonesia

Asef flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India on August 20, 2014 and stayed there for almost 20 days. On September 10, he flew to Malaysia where he stayed for 10 days.

“We were taken by the smuggler to a sketchy place, after waiting a while with an exhausted mind and body, we were taken to the seashore and commanded to enter the small wooden boat which was terrifying like death. I had never been in a boat before, and every minute was followed with terror that we might get caught by the navy police border.”

Finally, he arrived in Pekanbaru, Indonesia by boat on September 20, 2014, and arrived in Jakarta on September 25, 2014.

Life in Detention Centre

As he arrived in Jakarta, he registered himself with the UNHCR on October 16, 2014. With no right to work or way to support himself, he decided to surrender himself to the detention centre. In August 2015, he was transferred to Tanjung Pinang Detention Centre which was overcrowded and badly ventilated, and Asef and other refugees faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical attention.

“We were locked up inside our room and not allowed to see the sunshine.”

While facing such difficulties, he and some other refugees spent their time learning the English language. When Asef realized that refugees needed a hairdresser, he helped them, as he was skilled in hairdressing.

“I volunteered to help the refugees without getting paid and I was dedicating my time every day about 6 to 8 hours for shaving and setting the refugees’ hair.”

He received his freedom from the detention centre on January 31, 2018 and was moved to a community house in the city of Tanjung Pinang.

A Hope to be Helpful

Ever since, Asef has been doing his best to make the most out of his time in Indonesia. He volunteers as a hairdresser, learns English and any other skills that are offered so that he would be helpful for society in the future.

A Dream of Canada

Asef would like to continue his education and his passion as a hairdresser.

“My dream is to live in a country where I feel safe and be a helpful person to my family and friends as well as the community. I want to live in a country, where humanity and love are valued and want to contribute to making this world a better place for all.”

It’s possible. Since Asef is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – he is qualified for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

Another advantage about Asef is that he has a friend who has agreed to cover the costs of his first year in Canada. He only needs 5 Canadian sponsors to give him the life he dreams of in Canada.

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 also reach out to Asef directly on Facebook or by Email.

Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a good person to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!