Nargis Hemat (pictured) is an Afghan pupil at Dormers Wells school in the London borough of Ealing, studying for GCSEs in business studies, design technology and art and design. Born in Kabul, she is the oldest of five children and began school last January, in Year 10. Now 16, she is highly regarded by her teachers, who run a special induction programme for new arrivals that includes a “buddy” system.
“My father was involved in politics, with the Northern Alliance, and my uncle was a big mujahid - he fought the Russians. I was very small when these things were happening but I remember my mother praying for my uncle’s safety.
“We went to Pakistan for education because the fighting closed the schools most of the time. My education wasn’t very nice because we couldn’t stay in one place. Pakistan was also dangerous for us; we were changing houses all the time, and each time we had to change schools as well. We shifted so many times and lived in about 10 different rented houses. Wherever we stayed, it was just temporary. We went back to Afghanistan but the fight was coming nearer and my uncle and my father decided to move us.
“They talked to the agents about bringing us here. Our aunt and uncle were here already, and our grannie, who came on before us. We came by agent, sometimes walking for hours, sometimes travelling by car. We always had to travel at night and in the daytime they put us in houses with no windows. The agents told my father we could take as much luggage as we wanted, but on the journey we had to drop everything because if anyone became too tired to walk the agent would leave them behind.
“We were frightened all the time. We had heard of so many families who died on the way, or got separated. We saw women crying, and men who had been separated from their families. We always stayed together. We didn’t move apart from each other. We travelled for one or two months, then the agent put us in a lorry. We were there without anything in the boat, then the officials started cutting the cloth over the back of the lorry with a knife, and we all jumped out. We were thankful to God that we arrived in Dover.
“From there, we came to my grannie’s house in Greenford. We moved into a hostel for 10 months. You don’t feel very comfortable sharing a toilet with everyone else and always having to clean the bath before you use it. Just this week, we have got a flat - it has three bedrooms, and the bus stop is nearby for school.
“I started school here last January with my two brothers. School is nice but difficult. The first week, I couldn’t find my way around.
“When we were in Pakistan, no one dared to even raise their voice in front of the teacher. They were more scared of them than they were of their parents. Here, I saw one of my classmates shouting at the teacher, with his legs on the table. In Pakistan, they would have given him a sharp slap on the face and he wouldn’t have done that again. This school doesn’t hit anyone, which I like. They give detentions and exclusions, and students are scared of those things, but they don’t get hurt. This school is better than others I have heard about because there is little bullying and the teachers are really helpful.
“The technology is good here. There weren’t such things in my old schools - we had to pay extra to do experiments or use a computer.
“I’m the only girl in the design technology class. My aunt chose it. I didn’t know what it was. I decided to continue with it because I wanted to experience something new; I had done history and geography in Pakistan. I tried drama and didn’t like it - I’m a bit shy of acting in front of the whole class. Business studies is a quiet subject and English as an additional language really helped me.
“I never miss school, except if I have to translate for my mother or my grannie. My aunt has gynaecological problems, and when I translate the doctors are shocked. I say, ‘Don’t worry, I know much about this because I’ve always been with them.’ When we went to the housing association last time, they asked if I could work with them, because they need translators.
“I have always dreamed of being a doctor. I want to go back to my country and build a hospital for my lovely people there. This is my dream. When I look at my science GCSE paper, I know every answer but the language makes me confused. I expect to get a C in my science GCSE - I got a C in the mocks - so I will go to a sixth-form college and get a B, then back to school for my science A-levels. I want to go back to Afghanistan after finishing my education and do something special for the people there.”
Follow the progress of - or take part in - the TES Children Helping Children campaign: www.tes.co.ukafghanistan
