I was born in Afghanistan as part of a minority group called the Hazara along with my three older brothers, and my parents. Very early in my childhood, before I was five, my dad decided to move to Pakistan which we later followed him. This decision was made upon the circumstances and the living conditions, although I do not remember much of it, I could only imagine what my parents went through. Living in a country where there is constant war, not knowing where your next meal is coming from, and most importantly, not knowing whether you’ll still wake up the next day with a roof above your head. My journey continued in Pakistan which I have more memories of as I was a little older and we stayed there for quite some time. Although, Pakistan was a little safer, we weren’t fully safe hence my dad decided to take a huge risk for his family. He took the risk of travelling to Australia by boat as a refugee, a country which we only ever dreamed of living in. I’ll spare all the details about my dad’s journey here, and all the struggles, and risks he faced but he described arriving to Australia as being given a “new life”.

About two years later, my dad earned and borrowed some money to sponsor my family and I to join him. We were fortunate enough to not have to travel by boat and arrived in Australia by plane in October 2011. There are key differences that I remember to this day, between my old country and this beautiful country which I call home. For an example, tap water here is drinkable and doesn’t make you sick. The water back in Afghanistan, we had to boil it and let it cool down to ensure all the harmful bacteria was killed. We’re very lucky and fortunate to be living in this beautiful and safe country. Unfortunately, not everyone is given the same opportunities as us so it is very important to be to grateful for the things we have. The 15^th of August 2021 was the day the Taliban fully took over Afghanistan where the world watched in silence as the freedom and rights of the Afghan citizens were taken away from them. Basic human rights. Its worse if you’re a girl, no education, no study, no work, and basically no life. It’s very sad when I think about it, thousands of girls who were in the same situation that I once was in, cannot do anything about it.   

When I first started going to school in term 3 of reception, I couldn’t speak English besides the basics of course such as hello, thank you, and goodbye but not proper sentences. I remember distinctly a girl coming up to me to ask how I was going or ask if I needed help and that is when I felt my world transform. I realised that moving to another country also meant that I am now the outcast. I was the girl who couldn’t speak, understand, or write English, which meant I couldn’t stand up for myself. For many, communication is taken for granted however through my experiences I know that communication is key. Because of the language barrier, I was sometimes bullied, made fun of, and had racist remarks made about me, about the way I speak, the way I dress, and anything else you can think of. The sad truth was that there was nothing I could do about it, not that I didn’t want to but how was I meant to when I wasn’t able to express my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I told myself that at the end of the day, everyone was going to be remembered for something, so why not be remembered for something good which is why I let my hard work speak for itself.

With hard work and dedication overtime, I managed to learn English and began to interact with what seemed like the outside world. At first I tried very hard to fit in, to prove that I was just the same as everyone else but the truth was I wasn’t the same. I stopped trying to fit in once I became confident in my own skin and realised not matter how hard I tried, I could never be someone else. This helped to build my confidence, shaping the person I am today, proud of my culture, my race, and my identity.

I’m very fortunate as an Afghan girl to be here today, studying, working, and having the basic human rights, that everyone deserves. From just 11 years of me living here in Australia I’ve accomplished many great achievements that I am grateful for everyday as nothing would have been possible if I was still in the country I was born in. Ever since coming to Australia, I’ve been recognised as a regional winner, a state winner, national winner, a guest speaker, and many more but I’ve also been recognised and accepted within the community I grew up in. Despite, all the struggles and hardship I went through, I must admit it was worth it. Worth every I’ve been through. I’m lucky to be supported by a range of people, my friends, peers, school, and the community.

The moral of my story is to never let anyone define who you are and what your capable of. Be proud of who are you, where you come from, who you represent and what you achieve. At the end of the day, each one us will leave a footprint in history, whether that’s something small as being remembered in 10 years or something bigger. Choose how you want your footprint to be seen as, what will be remembered, what will be forgotten, and importantly, what will be the impacts. I am Sakina, a proud Muslim Afghan girl who tries every day to make a positive impact, succeed and achieve my goals. Thank you.