The Journey of Hope: Struggles and Triumphs of an Afghan Student

Sometimes, success isn’t just about hard work—luck plays a part too! 😊

This story might be a bit long, but I hope it can inspire others never to give up despite life’s ups and downs.

After the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in 2021, I saw my educational scholarship as a great chance to complete my master’s degree. Alongside my studies, I started some online work to earn a bit of foreign income. Before finishing my master’s, I realized there were hardly any good job opportunities back home. People I knew with jobs were unhappy—neither mentally at peace nor financially secure. So, I decided that moving abroad could be a better opportunity.

I applied for a second master’s degree in several countries since my first master’s was incomplete. I got a good chance in London, and my family was also going to move with me on a student visa. I started the process—got admission, paid fees, got the CAS letter, and submitted passports for the visa. But my visa was rejected due to a small mistake. I was upset and faced financial loss, but I didn’t lose hope.

I kept looking for other options. Since I had completed my master’s in engineering, Australia’s government offered a 1.5-year work visa (Subclass 476) to engineers under 31 with English language certificates and recent graduation. I met all conditions except I didn’t have the English certificate. I took the exam online, passed, and finally applied on December 21, 2023. The next day, the Australian Home Office announced they were no longer issuing that visa. That was another financial hit, but I remained hopeful.

In 2024, I tried again and got a scholarship from a great university in Italy (Politecnico Di Torino). This scholarship didn’t require a bank statement, which was a big relief. I started preparing for the embassy interview in Iran. I traveled there but the earliest appointment was four months away, and I had applied late. So, I returned home to Pakistan and later Islamabad. Suddenly, I received an email that my appointment was in three days! I quickly rearranged my plans and bought tickets to travel to Iran despite no visa or confirmed tickets yet.

I reached Tehran just in time, prepared all documents, but the embassy staff told me my appointment time was incorrect because I had provided my enrollment letter instead of a master’s degree certificate. I argued but they wouldn’t listen. I waited several days, emailed repeatedly, but got no reply. Returning to Pakistan, I found the appointment system improved, so I booked a slot in Quetta. I requested the university to send my summary to the Italian consulate in Karachi. The university cooperated well and sent it.

On the appointment day, embassy staff said they couldn’t accept my documents without the summary. Luckily, the university sent it just in time, and I submitted all papers. But then the embassy said they had never accepted documents from an Afghan before, so they would ask higher authorities. Eventually, they rejected my application. I felt very discouraged but tried to stay positive.

I made multiple trips between Pakistan and Iran and suffered significant financial losses. Finally, I decided to stop struggling against fate and accept whatever happens. Later, some friends got student visas to the U.S., so I applied to several American universities. I got accepted by two, including a reputable one—Tufts University—with a partial scholarship. I got the I-20 form to apply for a visa, but four days later, the U.S. government imposed a travel ban on Afghans and citizens of other countries. So, that plan was halted too.

Despite all this, I always had a backup plan. Living costs in Pakistan were high, so I started a guest house business. That story I will share another time.

Now, I am returning home to Afghanistan and planning for the future there.

The moral of the story is: life will be full of struggles and disappointments, and sometimes you might achieve small successes that aren’t the real victory. Better opportunities may be waiting for you elsewhere. Keep your hopes high, and don’t lose courage.

Written by Abbas Khan

Thank you for reading my story. Stay strong and keep striving!