Nazanin, A young Afghan refugee

Nazanin studies hard and enjoys socializing and helping others. She aspires to one day be a journalist, lawyer, and radio host.

What was your biggest struggle when you first came to Malaysia?

“When we moved to Malaysia, we didn’t know how to speak English. My sister learned a bit, but not enough for us to communicate with others. We stayed in a hotel for our first few days. But every time we wanted to go out, we faced the barrier of communication with the outside world. For example, it was difficult when we wanted to check out. We couldn't explain that we wanted to leave early even though we booked the hotel for a week!”

What advice would you give others?

“Treat people equally. We can learn from watching the news and seeing what happens to people in other countries that people can have very different lives! But just because it doesn't happen in our homes, doesn't mean it might not happen to us one day.”

Tell us more about your background story. When & why did you leave Afghanistan?

“We don't really talk about this, but the situation was not suitable for us to live in Afghanistan. We were all in a rush to leave. My mum left first to Iran, and one day my dad got a phone call that led to all of us leaving for Iran as well. I was young back then, so I didn't really know what was happening, why we had to leave, and where exactly we were heading to. We used to live among hills and valleys, a small town where my grandfather lived in his house. Back a long time ago, Afghanistan was very beautiful. But when I was growing up, it wasn't that beautiful! The hills dried up. It is sad to see those colorful mountains gone after the effects of the wars.”

Nazanin spoke at incitement in Malaysia last year.

Earlier this year, Nazanin had resettled to United States and no longer a refugee in Malaysia.

If you wish to learn more or volunteer in their school, Pandawas Academy, please contact them via their facebook page at facebook.com/pandawasacademy