Sahar’s Story

* Not her real name

In a safer place

I have four children. They are all very young, so you can imagine the journey here was extremely hard. But while the journey was difficult, we knew life would be better here. We knew there would be no bombing. There was no threat. I knew we would have a better future than we would have had in Afghanistan.

I think about how I used to live. The pressure in Afghanistan you cannot imagine. I just assumed there was nothing to look forward to in life. Happiness didn’t exist. That has all changed for us now. Since I have been coming to Foundation House, I can see life in a more positive way. We are in a much safer place.

Light is back in our lives

I have been in Australia for three and a half years.

I am so happy to feel free, to do the things that I always wanted to do. I used to dream of driving a car, but as a girl I couldn’t do that. Now I can drive around. I don’t have an expensive car but my car means so much to me. I can take the kids to the park and they can play. We have that opportunity.

My husband and I have two girls and two boys. We are here for the future of our children. We have been through so much back home. But I can see now that my children are going to school and they tell me they are happy. Seeing them grow and be happy means the world to me.

Life in Afghanistan was difficult. If I hadn’t come to Foundation House, what would have happened to me? It has changed my life and the way I used to think. They’ve helped me to work through everything I have been through. They have helped and supported my whole family. My daughter was afraid of sleeping at night. She was always having nightmares and telling me she was seeing white shadows. Foundation House has helped her through that.

Of course, I am still working on being afraid of many things. I used to wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares. It felt like there was something pushing on my chest that I wanted to get out. The crying has stopped most of the time, but we are still working on all those feelings.

Without Foundation House, I would have lost my life. I would have lost everything. I have a saying from back home about the people that bring light into your life. It is God directing and supporting you. Without Foundation House I think I would have lost my light. But the light is back in our lives.

I hope all our dreams come true

Now I have such big dreams for my children’s future. My oldest son says he wants to be an engineer. My older daughter wants to be a doctor and my youngest daughter wants to be a teacher.

My kids wish for me too. I would love to work as a receptionist in an office one day, dress for work and carry a briefcase. Maybe it will happen.

I hope all our dreams come true.