Name: Saifullah Sadeghi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, bachelor’s degree, experienced educator

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Saifullah Sadeghi, the director of a private school and a teacher of mathematics and physics, was told he had to close his school. When he did not comply, he was captured by the Taliban and beaten badly. He managed to escape to Kabul and then Indonesia with his wife and two children.

Despite being deprived of basic rights, Saifullah has learned English and has volunteered to teach science subjects to other refugees. Now he hopes to find five Canadian friends who can help him start his life again.

His early life

Saifullah was born on January 1, 1988, in the Qarabagh district in the Ghazni province in Afghanistan. After getting his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics, in 2012 he established a private high school in Herat, which he ran for six years and where he taught mathematics and physics.

Captured and Beaten

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

Once, he was warned to close the school by an unknown group, but he didn’t take the warning seriously. Then the unknown group tried to capture him twice, and he succeeded in running away from them. Two weeks after the second attempt to capture him, some members of the Taliban stopped Saifullah on the road, beat him, and threw him into a car. When he started shouting, one of them hit him hard on the head with his gun and he passed out.

“I woke up at night and found myself inside a car. I was so terrified, then I began running towards lights and reached on the road.”

After escaping from the car, Saifullah arrived in Herat, and a friend then helped him escape to Kabul. In Kabul, he was hospitalized for several days and underwent surgery because of a severe injury on his arm. Later, his father brought Saifullah's wife and children to Kabul, and they stayed in a hidden place. They decided to leave Afghanistan, and it took them three months to arrange a human smuggler.

Their Life in Indonesia

On September 28, 2017, Saifullah and his family flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India, and stayed there for five days. On October 3, they flew to Malaysia and then immediately to Indonesia. On October 5, they were registered at the UNHCR office.

After spending three days in a rented room, they arrived at the Kalideres refugee camp and stayed in the camp for one and a half months. Then, they were transferred to a community house in Jakarta where Saifullah’s third child was born. On March 21, 2018, they got their refugee status from the UNHCR.

Their Hopes

Saifullah is an experienced educator. While in Indonesia, he has learned English and has taught science subjects to other refugees. He also participated in the mobile phone repair program and completed it with a certificate. He hopes for a future where he can make use of his skills as a teacher and can provide a good education for his children.

“I hope to find a home where my children can get a proper education and I can learn new skills, teach others, and help the world.”

It is possible - with your help

As UNHCR refugees, Saifullah and his family are eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. It is possible for them to fulfill their dreams and continue helping the world. All they need is to be sponsored by a group of five Canadian friends.

To help support Saifullah and his family as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Saifullah Sadeghi directly on Facebook.

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

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