Name: Mustafa Zahir

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, excellent English skills, can speak Indonesian and Pashto languages, also basic French and Arabic, experienced bricklayer, stonemason and tuckpointer, volunteer teacher and interpreter.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Mustafa’s life was in danger due to cooperating with a policeman. To save his life, he fled to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

While living without having access to his basic human rights, he has been helping other refugees by volunteering as an English teacher and interpreter. Also, he writes and provides information to journalists and refugee activists about the situation of refugees in Indonesia.

He is looking for a group of Canadian friends who can help him come to Canada where he can pursue his dreams and help society.

Background

Mustafa Zahir was born on October 9, 1991 in Qarabagh district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. He was a high school student when he left school due to insecurity.

Mustafa’s father was the head of the valley for years. He was a bilingual person and could solve ethnic quarrels peacefully between Pashtun and Hazara tribes. Later on, he was appointed as the head of a water canal project, and then he was accused of being an embezzler because the Taliban took tax from the project and the volunteers for working for the government. Also, old men and boys under 13 years old were hired who could not work, but they were being paid and the budget ended while the project was incomplete. The Taliban once abducted Mustafa’s father and then released him after taking 25000 Afghani. Since Mustafa’s father was illiterate, he was jailed by the government and tortured to confess to being an embezzler. The responsibility of the budget was on two accountants, two treasurers and assistants, but being the head of that project, Mustafa’s father was accused. Due to the scandal and being tortured, his father got sick in jail. Later on, he was released and plead not guilty. Life was getting harder for Mustafa’s family in the village because of people’s hostility. He and his family were being harassed by the people.

The Reason He Left Afghanistan

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 other side, Mustafa had a motel and he had rented one room to a Hazara local police in 2014. According to the Taliban, any kind of helping the government employee was a crime and the Taliban would kill the helper. One night in November 2014, Mustafa was busy irrigating his farm when the Taliban attacked his motel and abducted his father.

“The Taliban wanted me to surrender in order to release my father. My mother did not let me, because she knew that I would be killed by the Taliban.

From Afghanistan to Indonesia

Mustafa’s mother convinced him to leave Afghanistan and save his life. He went to Kabul and hid in a university dormitory for 13 days. While staying there, he arranged for a people smuggler who then made his travel documents ready, and on November 19, 2014, he flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India. From there, he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Pekanbaru, Indonesia by boat on November 24, 2014.

Life in Indonesia

With no right to work or way to support himself in the new country, he went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. On December 5, 2014, he got registered with the UNHCR, and in February 2016, he was transferred to a detention centre in Pekanbaru where he spent his time volunteering as an English teacher for his refugee fellows.

On January 11, 2018, he received his freedom from the detention centre and was transferred to a community house in Pekanbaru. Since then, Mustafa has been cooperating with IOM encouraging refugees to learn the English language. He loves learning and has received about 20 English and computer skills certificates which were conducted by the IOM.

“These classes helped me gain my knowledge and know about different cultures and religions.”

His Passion

In late 2019, Mustafa started teaching the Persian language to IOM staff to ease communication between IOM and Afghan refugees, but his class was canceled due to COVID-19. Since most refugees have bicycles, Mustafa worked voluntarily as a bicycle repairer for one and a half years in the community house. Also, he has been a volunteer interpreter for his fellow refugees who need to go to the hospital or other offices.

Since COVID -19 limited the space for going out, Mustafa planned a program to learn the French Language from Duolingo Application, and now, he has learned around 7000 basic French words for daily communication in the French language.

Nowadays, Mustafa is studying the IELTS preparation course. As he says:

“I face an ocean of desperation but I struggle to create hope.”

Last Word

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

He says:

“I hope to resettle in a safe country where I can take part in development. I will contribute wholeheartedly to serve my new home and make it greater and Prosperous.”

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

You can also reach out to Mustafa 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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