On Hope, Generosity, and Gratitude: Hamid’s Story
With his gentle voice, bright eyes, and quiet determination, Hamid is an inspiring presence around Roshan. Below is his story, first shared in his graduation speech in December 2022, and expanded with further reflection this year.
I first arrived in Indonesia (from Afghanistan) in 2018 with my parents. The very first refugees that we spoke with informed us that refugees are not allowed to go to school while staying in Indonesia.
With this in mind, I was quite disappointed about my dream of pursuing higher education. I had completed middle school and learned some English before leaving Afghanistan. I immediately took part in a refugee-led learning center because I had nothing else to do. I also wanted to improve my English and learn Bahasa Indonesia to help my family in our day to day life.
Six months later, due to financial difficulties, we joined hundreds of other refugees in an abandoned military building known as Kalideres, which local authorities made available as a temporary shelter. It was chaos in the beginning: 1,400 refugees from different nationalities gathered in a building with nothing. No water and power supply, not even basic needs. Days flew by, and I kept myself busy by helping people around, translating for them, or sometimes talking to the press with my broken English. Until one day, when I was translating for a group of women talking to authorities, Mr. Brandon and Ms. Ariane noticed me and I had the pleasure to get introduced to them. They were also visiting Kalideres that day. They explained that they were starting a program for refugee teenagers to complete their high school studies and that I could be a part of it. I was excited, and soon afterwards, I visited Roshan Learning Center.
The first obstacle was that Roshan was at least 2 hours from the place where I was living and second, transportation costs were another major concern for me. Roshan came to the rescue again: I was offered a Teaching Assistant position with the Foundations Program, and I received a transportation stipend. I found (I should say the best) opportunity of my life in the least expected moment of my life, which has been a guiding principle for me as well: Never give up and be hopeful.
Refugee life is hard and very limited. It is not easy to stay positive in these kinds of situations, but whenever I become hopeless and despair comes to me, I think about people in my country. Innocent students the same age as me were slaughtered inside educational centers. I tell myself that, here, at least I am safe. And, two years ago, I was lucky enough to finish high school with Elite Open School.
I am grateful for all the help I received and the wonderful people I met along the way. My parents were like a reliable mountain behind me. Whenever I felt down, their wise advice paved the way for me. My beloved family and relatives gave continual support. Roshan staff became my guides in this unfamiliar journey, helping me overcome all the obstacles along the way. And all my mentors and tutors supervised my progress and reformed my mistakes tirelessly.
Now, it has been around six years since I have been involved with Roshan, as a student or a volunteer. One of the values that I found at Roshan and which still presents itself is generosity. I met many generous people that contributed to the lives of refugees, whether through their financial support of the organization or by donating their time as volunteers. Because of this generosity, Roshan has been up and running for the past 10 years, bringing hope and opportunities to refugees living under difficult circumstances in Indonesia.
And, Roshan still needs the support and generosity of its friends and people who value its work.
Through these years, I also learned that my contribution to the community is valuable and the smallest contribution can make a huge difference. For me, the most memorable moments at Roshan are the graduation ceremonies that we have annually. It is very rewarding and joyful to see the parents and friends of our graduates coming to celebrate the achievement of their loved ones. Seeing how happy and proud the students are makes me feel good and proud of my small contribution to their success.
I wish a happy 10th anniversary to Roshan and really hope it continues to transform the lives of refugees while they wait for their resettlement.
Today, Hamid generously gives back as a Volunteer Coordinator while pursuing an associates degree at a university in Jakarta. Last year, he diligently recruited and placed over 20 new volunteers! His career goal is to work in the computer science industry once he gets resettled and completes his studies. He continues to travel 2-3 hours from the Kalideres facility to serve at Roshan—always arriving with a warm smile on his face. Watch a video of Hamid’s day at Roshan.