Name: Mohammad Haqdad Jawadi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, experienced as a driver, salesperson and mason

FULLY FUNDED

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Haqdad and his father were detained, beaten and tortured by the Taliban. Knowing that they both would be killed by the Taliban, his father sacrificed his life and made Haqdad flee. He escaped from confinement to Kabul where he leaned that his father had been murdered. From there Haqdad fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.seeking safety and freedom.

In Indonesia, he found safety, but no freedom. Haqdad spent more than 3 years inside a refugee detention centre where he kept himself busy learning the English language and other skills. Haqdad already has donors to cover the cost of his first year in Canada. His hope now is to find a group of friends who can sponsor him to Canada where he can pursue his education, support his family and help society.

His Story

Mohammad Haqdad was born in 1998 in Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. As a child, he was studying at his school, and he was working alongside his father at their grocery shop. Also, his father used to sell beer and wine secretly.

On October 25, 2014, Mohammad Haqdad and his father were returning from Ghazni to Jaghori with a cargo truck loaded with beer and wine. When they reached Dasht-e-Qarabagh, the Taliban stopped them. They searched the car and found beers and wines.

“After finding beers and wines, they got very angry. They blindfolded us and drove us to an unknown house. Then they started beating and torturing us, and my father’s legs got broken.”

Escaping

Haqdad’s father knew that the Taliban planned to kill both himself and his son. Escape was the only option. But, his father could not escape because of his broken legs. He told Haqdad to flee without him. He directed Haqdad to leave the house through the stream that was beneath that house.

“I was very worried for my father and my heart was broken into pieces that he was not able to escape with me due to his broken legs. I kept running from one mountain to another till I reached the highway. From there, a driver took me to Kabul.”

The Tragic News

From Kabul, he contacted his mother and cousin and told them what had happened. After staying in a hotel hiddenly, he heard the heartbreaking news that his father had been killed by the Taliban. He couldn't even go home to bury his Dad.

“I wanted to go back to the funeral of my father, but my mother and uncle told me not to come as I was in real danger.”

The Way to Indonesia

Mohammad Haqdad knew that he was no longer safe in his country, so he arranged for a people smuggler, and on November 11, 2014, he flew to New Delhi, India where he stayed for 2 days. On November 13, 2014, he flew to Malaysia and stayed there for 4 days. Finally, he arrived in Pekanbaru, Indonesia by a dangerous boat on November 17, 2014.

The Detention Centre

After arriving in Jakarta on November 21, he registered himself at the UNHCR office on November 25, 2014.

With no right to work or way to support himself, he decided to submit himself to Tanjung Pinang Immigration Centre to ask for assistance.

On December 15, 2014, he was transferred to a detention centre in TanjungPinang which was overcrowded and badly ventilated, and he and other refugees faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical.

“Despite facing such difficulties, I decided to spend my time in English training courses and other skills.”

On January 31, 2018, he received his freedom from the detention center and was transferred to a community house in the city of Tanjung Pinang.

It Is Possible!

In Haqdad's words:

"After leaving my home, I am in search of a peaceful land and life with all basic Human Rights and security because I am from a land where sound of bomb and fire is louder than music. I am hoping that through Hazara Hope and Northern Canadian Lights I will meet kind and generous Canadian citizens to sponsors to sponsor me to Canada. I am fully funded."

It is possible for Mohammad Haqdad to live his life in a safe country like Canada, pursue his education and support his family who is in danger in Afghanistan.

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

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

You can also reach out to Mohammad Haqdad 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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