Name: Murtaza Ahmadi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Pakistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, Excellent English skills, Educated, Experienced as an interpreter and an English teacher, Knows MS Office, Video/Audio Editing and Hardware and Accounting.

Risk: At risk of being killed by the Lashkar e Jhangvi if returned home.

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

After Murtaza Ahmadi, a brilliant college student, survived two bomb blasts, his mother decided to send him to a safe place, and he fled to Indonesia by boat in November 2014.

He spent his three years in a detention centre where he and other refugees were treated like criminals. While living in limbo, he has been trying to make his mother proud. He has been volunteering as an interpreter and an English teacher for refugees and local people.

He hopes now to find five Canadian friends who can help him start his life again.

His story

Murtaza Ahmadi was born on September 29, 1993 in Quetta, Pakistan. He got his high school certificate from Danish Public Model High School and continued his study at KB Science College in Hazara Town, Quetta. Besides, he learned the English language from HELP English Language Centre, and he studied several computer programs, Microsoft Office, photo/video editing, hardware and accounting.

The Hazara people in Pakistan have been targets of persecution and massacres due to their religious and political beliefs.

On February 16, 2013 Murtaza finished his exam and was returning to his home. Suddenly, there was a massive blast where he got small injuries because he was 40 meters away. His home was near the blast area, so the mirrors, windows and doors of his home were broken.

“I was lucky to survive that blast, but more than a hundred Hazara innocents were killed and about 200 were injured.”

In 2013, Murtaza’s father died then he had to support his family. Besides going to college, he was working part-time in a currency exchange in Alamdar Road in 2014. His boss and he got threat calls from unknown numbers, and when he shared this with his mother, she told him not to go there anymore.

The Suicide Bomb Blast

In October 2014, While Murtaza was having a tuition class in Shuja Abad, there was a suicide bomb blast near the tuition centre.

“Our class shook, all the students rushed towards the exit to save their lives.”

Seeing such a dangerous situation, Murtaza’s mother was so scared of losing her son, so she decided to send him to a safe country. She arranged for a people smuggler with the help of Murtaza’s brother-in-law.

His Journey to Indonesia

In November 2014, Murtaza went to Kabul, Afghanistan and stayed there for a week, then he flew to New Delhi, India, and after staying for a day, he flew to Malaysia where he stayed for 7 days. He arrived in Indonesia by a dangerous boat on November 21, 2014.

His Life in Limbo

He was registered at the UNHCR office on December 4, 2014. With no right to work or way to support himself in this new country, he went to Kupang City in a community house where he started volunteering and teaching the English language with the support of IOM. After 3 and a half months, he was transferred to a detention centre.

His Life in The Detention Centre

The detention centre was over-crowded and badly ventilated, and they faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical care.

Despite facing such challenges, Murtaza volunteered as an interpreter and an English teacher for other refugees. He taught the English language to local people as well with the help of IOM and Immigration Centre.

After 3 years, he received his freedom from the detention centre and was transferred to a community house in Kupang City.

Attacked by the Locals

One and a half months passed and one day, when Murtaza was on his way to the community house, he was grabbed by four local people who had stones in their hands. Murtaza tried to ask them the reason but they were not ready to listen. They were trying to pull him into a small cabin, but Murtaza resisted by holding an electricity pillar tightly.

“In the meantime, one of them hit me hard with a stone on my head, and others started beating me. I was hit with a stone on my head and face four times then I fell, and they rained kicks and punches then a woman tried to stop them, I escaped from their hands, and left my slippers and cell phone behind.”

When he came inside the community house, his friend informed the guards and after 10 minutes he was shifted to a hospital.

“I was badly injured and I remained in bed for one and a half months.”

That incident became an unbearable trauma for Murtaza that he has not been able to overcome that yet. He is still depressed.

His Dreams

Murtaza dreams to study further. He does self-study and participates in free online courses though he has been deprived of his basic rights. Also, he is a volunteer teacher for refugees and even local people.

“I struggled a lot to take permission for joining a local university but I failed. IOM and UNHCR’s help are limited, and I do not miss a small chance to prove that I am eligible.”

The Last Word

“My mother’s brother was recently killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and my mother is going through a mental health condition. I am helpless to support her.”

As a UNHCR refugee, Murtaza Ahmadi 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.

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

You can also reach out to Murtaza Ahmadi 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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