By Theresa Ritzer, Project Reconnect
Noor Hakeem is excited to be a dad. Just a few months ago, he and his wife, Sumaya, welcomed their first child. Noor is also happy that he was officially granted asylum status in Germany. Together, Noor and Sumaya have built a new life: family, their own apartment, and a job.
Noor and his wife fled from Bangladesh to Germany. Originally from Myanmar, Noor belongs to the Muslim minority group Rohingya, which are persecuted in Myanmar. In Bangladesh, opportunities for refugees to integrate are extremely limited, so Noor and his wife continued their flight to Germany.
In February 2016, Noor started a seven-month language course in Geretsried, a small community in Bavaria. After just four months, Noor felt ready to tackle the final language exam -- and passed it.
Equipped with this knowledge, Noor started an internship at AsylPlus, a nonprofit organization that supports refugees and asylum seekers with computer-assisted learning opportunities. Noor used a Google Chromebook provided by Project Reconnect and online language programs to deepen his knowledge, and inspired his wife to do the same.
When Noor learned that he had been granted asylum a few weeks back, the first thing he did was go to the government job center -- not to request additional support, but to document his new job. Noor has been hired by AsylPlus to help with technical administration and provide training to refugees and asylum seekers.
Before he came to Germany, Noor never had the chance to attend secondary school, but hopes to study computer science and someday, work as a software engineer. With this goal in mind, Noor is preparing for his secondary school diploma at an evening school in Munich. “In my interim report I had the best grade in German, math, English, and in other subjects,” Noor says proudly.
If this story inspires you and you would like to invest in NetHope’s work supporting refugees like Noor and his family, we welcome your donation.
Filed Under: Project Reconnect, World Refugee Day