NEW REFUGEES FROM AFGHANISTAN:

NEW NEEDS



LET'S MAKE IT A HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR ALL

As this momentous year draws to a close, we ask you to give - of yourself, of your generous spirit and heart - to these new refugees who find themselves in challenging circumstances and yet, greet the new year with hope, with determination.

Please help us help them find their feet, follow their dreams and fulfil their destiny.

Let us support each other that we may all rise together.

26 year old Farishta Murad came to Pakistan in 1997 when she was two years old. One of three sisters and two brothers, she along with all her siblings attended Barakat Schools in Attock, Pakistan completing her education till 8th Grade and moving on to High School and a B.A. from Government College.

Today, under the umbrella of Barakat Pakistan, she is teaching female refugees, like Parwana, newly arrived from Afghanistan, fleeing the current crisis. The cycle continues.

As of October 2021, her language classes began to address the needs of the refugees. Fluent in four languages (English, Urdu, Turkmen and Dari) herself, she is teaching her students English and Urdu, the languages that will allow them to flourish in their host country.

Classes range from Nursery to 8th Grade for nearly 90 girls and women of different ages, different ethnicities (Hazara, Farsiwan, Uzbek).

By virtue of the mixed age groups, some older girls are in younger grades and visa-versa, depending on their language competency.

When asked what her students aspire to, she said, "My students want to be able to get themselves well-prepared to interact socially and to get education."

When asked what she would like to do: "I am enjoying myself as a teacher in the same set-up I was a student of. I want to remain a teacher here for a long period."

18-year old Parwana arrived in Pakistan with her family a month ago, fleeing the Taliban, leaving income and home behind. She had been admitted to the music department in Kabul University and would have continued there, if circumstances had permitted: "I was a really talented student. I was a first position holder at school." Her father held a government job under the previous administration, but at present they are living off their savings.

In this environment where it would be easy to get depressed, Farzana remains optimistic about the future: "I love learning in Pakistan. If you are living in a country, you need to make communication with the local community, you need to speak the local language. Specially, I want to learn Urdu and English to get good skills and a positive point in my academic life."

Her younger sibling will enroll in Barakat Elementary School in the near future. As they find their feet in a new country, they have the tools they need to get a good education, thanks to your support of our work.