Name: Mohammad Sharif Fahimi

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, bachelor's degree.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

EDUCATOR WITH A DREAM

Mohammad Sharif obtained his bachelor’s degree in Iran and then returned to Kabul, Afghanistan, where he began teaching at Gawharshad University. As a teacher, he was threatened and attacked by the Taliban, and then captured and tortured. He was released after he paid the Taliban a large amount of money.

Mohammad understood that Afghanistan was no longer safe for him, and he fled to Iran. From there, he and his family fled to Indonesia by boat. Despite Mohammad’s family is facing health problems. , they have been helping refugees by educating them, and teaching them tailoring. He hopes that as a former teacher, he will have the opportunity to come to Canada, educate his children, and help the world, as he did in Afghanistan.

Migrations

Mohammad Sharif Fahimi was born on March 3, 1975, in the village of Barik in the Jaghori district of the Ghazni province in Afghanistan. Mohammad Sharif got married to Salehe Hassani on October 18, 1998.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. When the Taliban came to power and destroyed Bamiyan and other Hazara areas in 1998, Mohammad Sharif and his family migrated to Pakistan, and in 1999, they moved to Iran, where Mohammad studied literature in Persian.

Threatened and abducted

After graduating with his bachelor's degree, Mohammad returned to Kabul in 2014 and began teaching at Gawharshad University. He received many threatening calls because of his work, but he ignored them.

On April 7, 2016, three armed men stopped Mohammad as he was on the way to work and tried to take him away, but he shouted and called out for help, and when people gathered on the road, the armed men left him and went away.

During his time in Kabul, Mohammad had to travel to Jaghori to access cultural activities and libraries for his teaching job. Some people reported his travel to the Taliban. The Taliban sent a letter to influential people in the area and asked them to hand Mohammad to over them. Mohammad heard about his and made his way to Ghazni one night on June 6, 2016. However, on the way to Ghazni, some members of the Taliban captured him and took him to a room where they tortured him for five days. Later, he was released with the help of the elders of Pashtun and influential people of the region, and in exchange for 800,000 Afghani rupees (approximately 13,500 CAD).

Escape to Indonesia

Mohammad knew that he was not safe in Afghanistan, so he returned to Iran with his family. They then flew from Iran to New Delhi on October 29, 2016. And on November 13, they flew to Malaysia and then to Indonesia.

His life now

Mohammad Sharif, his wife, and his four children live in a community house in the city of Pekanbaru. His wife has diabetes due to stress and anxiety, and his younger son has asthma.

“I have always wanted my children to get an education and be helpful to the world, but unfortunately, they have been deprived of their education here.”

While coping with difficulties of their life, Mohammad Sharif and his family have been trying their best to help other refugees. His wife, Salehe is professionally familiar with tailoring, so she has been holding both foundational and professional frequent tailoring courses for female refugees. These courses are conducting successfully and are welcomed unprecedentedly by the IOM and refugees. Also, a homeschool for refugees, which is from 1^st till 8^th grade, has been conducting by Mohammad Sharif and his two daughters, Fereshte Fahimi and Mohadese Fahimi. Even during this global pandemic, their school is still being continued. On the other hand, while purchasing masks was extremely challenging in markets and shops, Mohammad Sharif and his family sewed 8000 masks and contributed them to refugees and local people which was aired on a local TV channel as well.

“I believe that it doesn't matter where we are and how is our situation. We are responsible for each other. Although we are in a pathetic and tough situation, with all the problems, stress, anxiety and illnesses, it is our belief to help society.”

The last Word

Mohammad Sharif is hopeful that he will find friends who can help him build a life in which his children can get an education and be helpful to society.

“My request from humanitarian Canadians is to save us from this difficult situation. We need your help today, and tomorrow might be too late. My Family vitally needs your empathy today.”

As UNHCR refugees, Mohammad Sharif and his family are eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. He needs a group of five Canadian friends to support him.

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

You can also reach out to Mohammad Sharif 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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