Ezatullah is an 18 year old boy who was born in a village in Afghanistan. He came from a humble family, managed to study until elementary school and then had to drop out of school to help his family. He grew up surrounded by family as is the custom in his country, but when he was 16, his life changed. When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, his family, who are Christians (a minority in the country), began to suffer persecution.
They managed to escape to Iran, a neighboring country, but they were still not safe. Afghan agents, both in the current government and in the opposition, are always looking for healthy young people to fight and Ezatullah fit the profile of recruiters perfectly. Unfortunately said agents are also in Iran, so as soon as he turned 18, he fled alone to Brazil, hoping to find a place to build a future. And in December 2022 he arrived at AIRE.
And despite all the difficulties he has faced, Ezatullah always has a smile on his face. He takes every opportunity he has to help around the house and study. He has a basic knowledge of hairdressing and is trying hard to learn Portuguese. In April 2023 he was able to reunite with his parents who also managed to come to Brazil from Iran and his optimism and the gratitude he feels for being in a free country is contagious.
In addition to the classes we offer at AIRE, he will also participate in a course offered by the ESPM Faculty in partnership with the IOM (UN Agency for Migration). The course is focused on the social inclusion of young Afghans in Brazil and, in addition to Portuguese classes, there will also be workshops to learn more about Brazilian culture and customs.
We are rooting for you Ezatullah!
