In 2022 Rukhsar fled to Hamburg with her parents and her younger sister to fight for her future. ‘The feeling of losing home, leaving behind everything you worked so hard for, and being forced to leave your loved ones - not because you wanted to chase the dream of studying abroad or traveling the world to find yourself, but simply because you had no other choice - is something I cannot put into words. Coming to a country where I not only didn’t know the culture or speak the language made everything seem impossible. The idea of studying at a university here felt out of reach.’
In Germany she joined her two older sisters who were already here with DAAD scholarships and her brother Abdullah Khisraw, who was working as a research assistant on wind turbines for the Competence Centre for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (CC4E) at HAW Hamburg. He was her rock in those difficult times. ‘As a family, we stuck together and fought against the urge to lose hope. The strongest support came from my brother. He guided me through the most challenging moments and encouraged me to keep going.’
With the support of her brother, she started to learn German. Once she reached B2 German she completed a preparatory year at the Studienkolleg Hamburg and got her “Feststellungsprüfung” and C1 German certificate. With these she applied to study computer science and started her first semester at HAW Hamburg in April. ‘I chose HAW Hamburg because it is practice-oriented, and I am someone who prefers to apply what I learn. I also made lots of friends at the Studienkolleg Hamburg. I really appreciate how intercultural Hamburg is, and I find the people here very friendly. So, there were lots of reasons why I wanted to study in Hamburg.’
Rukhsar describes her family as a place where knowledge and equality were the foundation of daily life. So, it is understandable that the excitement of moving forward and finally starting university after three years of preparation is mixed with a feeling of missing the past and the sense of a life not lived. ‘The path wasn’t easy, but I’m here to show that there is more to Afghanistan than what social media portrays. I hope the world sees that Afghan women, whose rights have been taken away from them, have so much potential, if only they are given the chance. It hurts my heart and soul that I can’t do anything for women back in Afghanistan, and I know how much talent and potential goes to waste. I truly hope the world does not forget about Afghan women.’
Text & photo: Ingrid Weatherall
