Together We Heal, Learn and Shine

“At the peak of the pandemic, when there were fewer hospital beds available and medical treatment became difficult, I saw many people in my neighbourhood needing help. Many were alone, without any family members to support. Their suffering was overwhelming. I felt I needed to do something.

As a nurse who got the opportunity to complete her education in India, I had the chance to create change and most importantly, I had the will to help the people of India who have given me so much when I came here seeking safety. India gave me a safe place, assisted me, the people became my friends in times of need and when they need me now, I am there in solidarity.

With the little we had, my mother and I conducted in-house treatment for my Indian neighbours who were sick and fellow Afghan friends who had no one to care for them.. I even travelled over 30 kilometers to our Afghan refugee houses to check on them.. Many were scared, braving the virus alone, and they needed compassion, comfort, and a listening ear. It wasn’t easy. Many were crying – one of my local Indian neighbours, she held my hand and kept thanking me for being there for her as she had no one.

Many people want to know what will happen to them, when the virus will be over, when will a solution be found so that children can go back to school, and lives can be restored. I had no answers to most of these questions as I know the world will never be the same again. I could only extend kindness by doing my best to serve people in need and by giving back to those who have helped me when I was in need. I gave hope. In all this, I learnt that in times of crisis, I may not have much, but we can rely on each other if we stand together in order to heal, learn and shine.”

These are the words of 25-year-old Ms. Qadiry, a refugee nurse in New Delhi, who took it upon herself to care for her neighours and persons who needed help during the pandemic. Over the past year, she and her mother have helped over 25 persons.

-- A joint blog by Oscar Mundia, Chief of Mission of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in India and five refugees in India: Thomas Berhane, teacher; Than Dar Aung, student and DAFI scholar; Ja Noi, creche worker; Rahmatullah Habib, musician; and Marwa Qadiry, a frontline nurse.