I, Zekria Farzad, a Refugee, Founder of the Wave of Hope for the Future

By Zekria Farzad

I was born in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and mostly grew up there, with a few years in Rawalpindi, in Pakistan. We became refugees because of threats from the Taliban regime. I have two brothers and four sisters, but, unfortunately, in the last seven years, I lost my two younger brothers during the war and the suicide attacks in Kabul. I graduated from Ansari High School in Kabul, and I started my higher education at a private university, Iqra University, in Kabul. I studied journalism and at the same time I worked with a contractor of a US Army company. I loved journalism and wanted to become a journalist, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t manage to work in my profession because of the risks in a country such as Afghanistan and because of the lack of possibilities. I have been working as an author, however, and have established my own publication, Farda e zeba (meaning “beautiful tomorrow”), and became a board member of Haft Khosha, a weekly publication. I also used my experience to work as an activist for justice and civil society rights in Kabul. Farda e zeba was a youth association publication dealing with educational, cultural, historical, and political issues, and it was distributed in rural areas in Afghanistan to awake the young generation of the country about their responsibilities and encourage them to be part of their communities against the Taliban and all other terrorists in Afghanistan. I was the chief editor of this magazine. I left my lovely homeland in March 2018. I had not considered leaving until the situation became like walking in a dark night and there were mines all around. You could have been killed at any moment, and there was no way to live there; I had to leave. . .

We escaped, under very difficult conditions, and flew from Kabul to Nimroz and from Nimroz to Pakistan. During the journey across the Pakistan border, Taliban members and thieves ambushed us to steal our money. Because I was a journalist, activist, and an open-minded Muslim and Farsi speaker, we passed that border with hearts racing and fear of being caught. We arrived at the Iranian border on foot, and sometimes on a motorbike. At Urmia and the border between Turkey and Iran, smugglers kidnapped us and took me and my family under a bridge in a valley, where there weren’t any humans. After two nights and after long negotiations, and because my children were sick and it was snowing, I decided to pay the smugglers US$5000. After ten days of walking and breaks in strange houses without facilities, we arrived at the border town of Van, Turkey. From there, we arrived safely in Istanbul, but after that, Turkey and the UN didn’t give us asylum, so I had to leave Turkey for Europe.

After this journey of death and life, I remembered very well that it was another side of starting a new life of darkness in Moria. I remember my children’s and my wife’s first reaction when they saw Moria, but I understood that it’s where we had to live. It was overwhelming, and I had not imagined it, but at least we were happy that we were alive.

As a human being, I quickly understood that there’s something missing in my community, even at a temporary refugee camp. In fact, I consider myself responsible for making good use of my time, and it’s important for me that I do not sit back and watch. I realized that education was missing for children in Moria, and so with the most basic of facilities at hand, I started working on the Wave of Hope for the Future (WHF) organization. I recall that I started one day by putting up a whiteboard in the open air and gathered children around to start teaching. I’m so proud of this achievement. This name contains an important philosophy, especially for those who crossed the watery borders using a very small dinghy: they were 100 percent certain that it was not a good choice, but they were attempting it nevertheless. The sea waves are an element of hope for their future; I think it was God’s hand that we are alive to do something good for those who are in need, to pray and be thankful to almighty God.

Unfortunately, from the start of my activities, I received many warnings from the police, camp authorities, and some bad people around us in our own community in Moria camp. Yes, I faced many challenges to bring these waves on a platform to continue and still I’m struggling and fighting in my own life because of WHF. Some people even tried to kill me one dark night in the “Olive Grove” area of Moria, and I received many threats from arrogant people; they destroyed and broke my classes and our whiteboards many times.

From the very beginning, I didn’t ask for any help from big NGOs or authorities, and WHF has been independent until now. I’m thankful to all our supporters that they found our activities very important and useful and are still supporting us. I think some organizations are trying to do something good and we have good collaborations with them that benefit the refugees. But there were some NGOs that think mostly of their bank accounts and use the refugee crises to better their own budgets and for their own good accommodations, transportation, and luxurious life for their volunteers. We started from nothing and work under very bad circumstances. But our own refugee communities were so happy for our work, and prayed for us, and I’m sure I’m in their prayers.

Unfortunately, in the big fire of September 2020, we lost our beautiful school, with all its content and equipment. But we have rebuilt schooling facilities in Moria 2/Karatepe camp. Beside them, we are building our new school inside the One Happy Family premises, and we are going to have classes there. Also, we have opened our new school, art laboratory, and permanent art exhibition in the town of Mytiline. According to our new policies in WHF, which you can see on our website (www.waveofhope.org), we support other educational initiatives inside camps all around Greece. They must join us and register themselves, and we are ready to support them. 

Zakria Farzad and the start of the Way of Hope education and art project in Moria (photo from his Facebook page, reproduced with his permission).

My beautiful WHF was the result of a long journey of two years, but very quickly it’s becoming one of the most successful and useful initiatives among many other NGOs and organizations in Greece. In addition to educational classes in refugee camps around Greece, we have twenty-four football and volleyball boys and girls teams in six refugee camps. I just wanted to help and support those who are in need, as I, myself a refugee, can understand their pains more than others. Actually, I’m enjoying doing something good and something useful with our lives; if I contribute to other people’s happiness, I find the true meaning of life. If I and all my colleagues can do something good, I’m sure we receive all our rewards in this world; if not, God is great and we are continuing. Thank you very much.

Zekria Farzad and his family arrived in Moria in February 2019, and they “escaped the fears of deportation in the middle of March 2020.” He now lives in a central European country, waiting to reunify with his wife and five children, who are still stuck in Greece.