Abolfazel’s story: A Simple Choice for a Brighter Future
Education can be a complicated web of theory, practice, logistics, and curriculum. Yet, for refugee families that have experienced more than their share of challenges, education is the “simple” priority and focus. This was certainly the case for Abolfazel’s father, who chose Roshan for his children time and time again. Today, he sees his decision shining through as he watches his son Abolfazel budding with hope.
Abolfazel started at Roshan in 2018 when he was five years old. He was a typical young, energetic boy and his teacher described him as “all over the place.” Abolfazel’s family had come to Indonesia from Afghanistan and started off in a refugee camp for the first three to four months. The time was very stressful for the family as a whole. While staying in the camp, Abolfazel’s father heard about Roshan from a friend whose children were attending classes. As soon as the family was able, they moved to Jakarta with the clear-cut intention of getting their kids into Roshan.
When first starting at Roshan, Abolfazel was so nervous that he almost could not make it into the classroom. Now, four years later, Abolfazel has matured, learned, and is always excited to be at Roshan, especially for math class. When you ask Abolfazel what he likes about school, he talks about his friends in the classroom and his favorite teachers.
However, Abolfazel is not the only family member experiencing the joy of learning. Abolfazel’s sister and even his parents have all been Roshan students. When the children first enrolled, the parents were also able to take part in the Adult English classes. They have truly become a Roshan family.
Finding stability has been tough for Abolfazel’s family, especially during the pandemic. They have stayed at home and tried to adapt to online classes, social distancing, and less in-person connection with friends. At times, they have even considered moving out of the city to places where others from Afghanistan have settled and the cost of living is cheaper. Yet, they continue to choose Roshan in pursuit of a brighter future. In fact, Abolfazel’s father is confident when he says that staying in Jakarta for the kids to go to Roshan is the only choice for him. He says, “My hope is to see what will happen and we don’t have many choices that we can make for them. My children will never miss their classes because I know that this will help them in the future…Like any child, Abolfazel changes every hour with what he wants to do and what he wants to become and we want to help him .”
For Abolfazel, his truths are also simple. “I just like to go to school. I like to learn something at school. Knowing about math. Math is my favorite. Roshan is so good and it’s super fun and I just like Roshan.”