Name: Mohammad Reza Bahrami

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, educated, YouTuber, volunteer English teacher, Refugee Representative

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

PARTIALLY FUNDED - Reza has much of the funding needed in place. He just needs 5 Canadian friends as sponsors.

Reza and his family lived in Quetta as refugees, until he lost his mother, brother and his aunt in a massive bomb blast that targetted the Hazara community. Pakistan was not safe - he fled to Indonesia in 2014.

While living in a detention centre for 3 years he was treated like a criminal but he had committed no crime. It was a terrible time, but Reza was resilient and helped other refugees. Now living in the community, he focuses on his future, building a youtube channel, learning English and hoping for an opportunity to resettle in Canada. He needs a group of five friends who can help him start his life in Canada.

Never Safe

Mohammad Reza Bahrami was born in 1995, in a village of the Jaghori 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. When he was a child, Reza’s father was working with his uncle Bahrami who was one of the elders of the Hazara village. The Taliban started searching for Reza’s father and Bahrami to arrest and kill both of them. Luckily, Reza’s father escaped to Quetta, Pakistan, along with his family. Reza was only 6 years old.

The Catastrophic Blast

On February 16, 2013, a massive bomb blast took place in Hazara Town, Quetta.

“When I heard the blast, my mother, brother, sister and aunt were outside. I searched them at hospitals. Eventually, I found them. They had been critically injured. After a few days, my mother, brother and my aunt passed away and my sister survived.”

In that blast, more than 100 innocent Hazara were killed and hundreds more were injured. Quetta was no longer safe for the Hazara people, and Reza decided to leave Pakistan and go to a safe country.

A Dangerous Journey

He arranged for a human smuggler with the help of some of his friends and relatives. On May 6, 2014, he flew from Quetta to Karachi, and on May 26, he flew to Thailand and stayed there till May 30. Then he flew to Malaysia, and he arrived in Indonesia by boat on July 3, 2014.

His Life in The Detention Centre

After arriving in Indonesia, Mohammad Reza was kept in an Immigration office for 2 weeks, and then he was transferred to a detention centre in Medan. On August 22, 2014, he was registered with the UNHCR inside the detention centre. He had no idea he wouldn't leave for 3 years.

“In the detention centre, I started volunteering for refugees as a translator in hospitals. Also, I became their representative.”

His Hopes

In April 2017, Mohammad Reza received his freedom and was transferred to a community house in Medan. He is hoping and always thinking about a peaceful life with his family members.

“I hope to reunite with my family members and start a new life with freedom and peace.”

To stay positive and feel productive, Reza dedicates his time to helping others. He works with his friend Nasim as a volunteer coordinator and advocate. He helps take people to the hospital and translates for them. He is a volunteer teacher, too. Nasim and Reza advocate for all refugees in Indonesia, coordinating peaceful protests.

"My hobbies are reading books and learning new things to improve my skills and myself. Helping makes me happy and is satisfying. So does making videos about technology and learning about technology."

You Can Help

As a UNHCR refugee, Mohammad Reza Bahrami is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

There is a way for him to live a life with freedom. All he needs is to be sponsored by a group of five Canadian friends. Reza has already raised over half of the funds needed to support him in his first year in Canada.

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

You can also reach out to Mohammad Reza Bahrami by email: m.rezabaaharami@gamil.com, or through his WhatsApp Contact Number: +62 878 67847992

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

Thank you for your support. And help spread the word by sharing this post!