DETERMINED REFUGEE FATHER
SULAIMAN NAZARI
Profile: Hazara refugees from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.
Advantages: UN Certified, Sulaiman is an experienced constructor, his daughters are students, and his brother Ali Asghar has excellent English skills, FULLY FUNDED.
Risk: At risk of being tortured and killed by the Taliban if returned home.
Canadian contact: Stephen Watt
Sulaiman Nazari and his family, Hazara refugees from Afghanistan, have faced harrowing challenges and dangers. Sulaiman, a skilled builder, was abducted by the Taliban for constructing schools. Fearing for their lives, they embarked on a perilous journey to Indonesia, enduring near-death experiences.
After years of struggle, they've been officially recognized as refugees by the UNHCR. Now, they dream of a safe haven in Canada, where they can access education, work, and basic human rights. With private sponsorship, they hope for a new life. This fully funded family aspires to contribute to society with their skills and knowledge, offering a beacon of hope in uncertain times. All they need now is a group of five Canadian friends who can help them start a new life in Canada.
Early Life
Sulaiman was born in January 1981, in the Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. As a child, he went to religious schools and learned to read and write, but due to insecurity and economic issues, he could not continue his education. So, he started learning to construct residential houses and schools. After a few years, he became a builder and made some contracts with humanitarian institutions to build some schools. He completed the construction of several schools and projects. At that time, the Taliban used to blow up the schools and kill those who had helped to build the schools.
Abducted
The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. Unfortunately, the Taliban received Sulaiman’s details about building schools, and in August 2012, they abducted Sulaiman and 3 other Hazara workers from a school in the Jaghori district.
“After taking us to an unknown place, the members of the Taliban started beating us and calling us infidels because of building schools.”
After a few days, the villagers captured four Pashtuns and demanded the Taliban to release Sulaiman and the 3 other Hazaras. Fortunately, they released Sulaiman along with other prisoners but threatened to capture and kill them if they built schools again.
Journey to Indonesia
Sulaiman returned home, but he did not have any job to support his family. After that incident, he felt that he could never live peacefully in Afghanistan, so he decided to find a way to leave the country.
Sulaiman went to Kabul and arranged for a people smuggler who could send him to a safe country where he could work and support his family. Sulaiman flew from Kabul to Dubai on May 12, 2013. From there, he flew to Sri Lanka, then to Thailand, Malaysia, and then on to Indonesia on June 12, 2013.
Nearly Died
Knowing that he did not have the right to work in Indonesia, he found a people smuggler who promised to take him to Australia by boat. Once again, risking his life, he entered the boundless ocean to Australia in a small boat. After a few hours, the boat was punctured due to wear and tear, and he and his companions went to the brink of death.
“It was the moment I thought we (I and other refugee there) were going to die.”
Luckily, they were rescued by Indonesian authorities and brought to an immigration Centre in Serang the capital city of Banten province. On July 17, 2013, Sulaiman came to Jakarta and registered himself with the UNHCR.
Detention Centre
On September 09, 2013, Sulaiman was transferred to a detention centre in Tanjung Pinang.
The detention centre was overcrowded and badly ventilated. Refugees there faced many challenges like, lack of food, water and proper medical care. After about 2 years on May 19, 2014, Sulaiman was freed and transferred to a community house in Medan, Indonesia where he started learning English and computer skills from other refugees.
New Hope
Sulaiman was very worried for his family who was left in danger in Afghanistan. With the help of his friends and acquaintances, he managed some money, and his family including, his wife Sabeera Nazari, his 4 daughters and his brother Ali Asghar Nazari, reached Indonesia in 2018 through dangerous way of illegal. Finally, they reunited after 5 years. Since then, they have been living together in Medan.
Sulaiman’s daughters are studying at an Indonesian government school. Despite the language barrier, his daughters are very passionate about getting a proper education. Unfortunately, refugees in Indonesia do not have the right to work, get a proper education drive and even open a bank account. Sulaiman is concerned for his daughters’ future. He says:
“My dream is to see my daughters getting a proper education and living in a country where they can have access to their basic human rights and be able to contribute to society with their skills and knowledge.”
It is Possible!
Besides going to school, his daughters practice Taekwondo and learn English from online platforms. Since they cannot have a future in Indonesia, nor they can return to Afghanistan, Sulaiman hopes to resettle along with his family in a safe country like Canada.
It is possible! Since Sulaiman and his family are officially certified as refugees by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – they qualify for Canada’s private sponsorship program. Another good thing about this family is that they are FULLY FUNDED.
If you would like to sponsor this talented family – or if you’re just interested in helping to bring them here – please contact their friend Stephen Watt on Facebook.
You can reach out to Sulaiman directly on Facebook.
Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a good family to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!
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