Names: Zakiullah Jafari, Saere, and their daughter Mahsa (1).

Profile: Hazara refugees from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, Zakiullah has electro-mechanical skills and is an experienced carpet weaver and electrician apprentice, and Saere is an experienced Persian teacher.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Due to being in danger, Zakiullah and Saere fled from their home country and now living in Indonesia as refugees where they do not have access to their basic human rights.

They are now a family of three and they do not have any future in Indonesia, nor they can return to their home country due to the Taliban’s threat. Their hope now is to find a group of Canadian friends who can help them start a new life in Canada.

His Early Life

Zakiullah was born in January 1994, in the Malistan district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan.

His father was one of the commanders in the Afghan Revolutionary Guards. His family was in danger after the Taliban killed his father in 2000, so his uncle helped them flee to Quetta, Pakistan to save their life. He grew up as a refugee in Pakistan.

Her Early Life

Saere Qurbani was a child when her family engaged her to her cousin Muhammad in exchange for marrying his sister Sakineh to Saere’s brother Ibrahim. Saere’s fiancé Muhammad was very violent and drug-addicted. Like many Hazaras, Saere’s family fled to Quetta, Pakistan due to the Taliban’s threat in February 2000.

Their Love Story

After Saere grew up, her fiancé Muhammad wanted to marry her, but she wanted to annul their engagement because she was beaten many times by her fiancé.

“He believed that girls had to be restricted to home only. To stop me from going to school, once he burned my leg and I still have the scars.”

In November 2012, Saere decided to marry Zaki to get rid of Muhammad and they both got married hidden from Muhammad.

The Hazara people in Pakistan have been targets of persecution and massacres due to their religious and political beliefs. Zakiullah used to work as a carpet weaver in Quetta. Since the number of attacks on the Hazara people increased there, it was not possible for Zakiullah to live peacefully.

Leaving Home

“Leaving my wife and family behind was the most difficult challenge for me. But I had to go and find a safe country so that I could then bring my family in safety.”

After he arranged for a people smuggler in July 2014, he flew to Thailand. From there, he went to Malaysia by plane and then on to Indonesia by boat in August 2014. After arriving in Jakarta, he registered himself with the UNHCR on August 07, 2014, and started living in Jakarta.

Abducted

Unfortunately, in 2019, Saere’s ex-fiancé Muhammad learned about the marriage of Zakiullah and Saere. He then kidnapped her from her school and took her to an unknown place. She tried to run away but Muhammad attacked her with a knife to kill her.

“His father, who was there, stopped him, but later, I was beaten a lot until I fainted.”

It was almost midnight when Saere woke up and found Muhammad sleeping. She jumped out from the window and luckily managed to escape. She was helped by a stranger to reach home. Knowing that Muhammad was looking for her to find and kill her, she shared everything with her husband Zakiullah who suggested her to leave Pakistan immediately.

Her Journey to Indonesia

With the help of her sister’s husband Mirza Hussain, Saere went to Kabul where he arranged for a people smuggler to send Saere to Indonesia. In October 2019, she flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India. From there to Malaysia and then on to Indonesia by plane on October 25, 2019. She registered herself with the UNHCR on November 02, 2019.

Life as Refugees

In February 2021, Zakiullah and Saere were blessed with a daughter whom they named Mahsa. As refugees, they cannot get proper education, work, drive and travel to another city. Zakiullah says:

“I have been living in exile with my wife and my little daughter without any human rights in Indonesia. I am very concerned about my daughter’s future. She has to get proper education to have a bright future.”

They cannot have a future in Indonesia, nor they can return to their country (Afghanistan) because they would be killed by the Taliban or by Saere’s ex-fiancé Muhammad. The one and only way for them to get out of this uncertainty is to resettle in a country like Canada.

As UNHCR refugees, Zakiullah, Mahsa and their child are eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. They need a group of five Canadian friends to support them.

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

You can also reach out to Zakiullah directly on Facebook – or through WhatsApp: +62 812-8064-4926.

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

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