s-1
| My problems in my country started all on one day, when I was kidnapped by an organized crime group and kept hostage. |
s-2
| I still carry the signs of their beatings on my back. |
s-3
| I managed to escape and call the police, many kidnappers died, others were arrested and some others ran away. |
s-4
| But those who made it sought revenge and one night they shot dead my father, my younger sister, and my brothers. |
s-5
| I fled Afghanistan to go to Norway, but it did not work out. |
s-6
| Italy became my only hope. |
s-7
| At first, I felt completely alone; those were the worst moments of my life. |
s-8
| I expected Rome to be a holy city. |
s-9
| I thought, There is the Vatican, many churches, many Christian believers, and they have humanity, but I have not seen much altruism around here so far. |
s-10
| Then I found true friends at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in Rome. |
s-11
| When I come here I can really feel the humanity and kindness that I was seeking for so long. |
s-12
| I studied psychology, but I am also a writer. |
s-13
| The first book I ever wrote was about a girl living under the Taliban regime, who would disguise herself as a man to go to university. |
s-14
| The story behind that book is based on the life of my neighbor. |
s-15
| When the regime came to an end, my book became very popular. |
s-16
| Thanks to my friends in Rome, I am now working as an artisan, and I make jewelry, baskets and other crafts with gems and recycled paper. |
s-17
| I still dont know how to fit in here as a refugee. |
s-18
| I am doing my best because I dont want to be dependent all the time. |
s-19
| We refugees and migrants need more support to stand on our own legs, and then of course we can stand up, walk and go on and fix our lives. |