Afghan Immigrant Siblings Celebrate the Opportunity to Study in the Countryside of São Paulo: 'A Better Future'

The Saket family has been living in São Carlos since 2022. The Taliban regime prevents women and girls from studying in Afghanistan.

Three siblings from Afghanistan are celebrating their new life and educational opportunities in São Carlos, São Paulo. The Saket family immigrated to the city in April 2022 due to the ultra-conservative Taliban government, which prohibits girls and women from attending school in their home country.

According to the siblings, Afghanistan once provided good conditions for education, including for women. However, since the Taliban took power in 2021, schools have been shut down, and millions of girls have been deprived of the right to read and write.

"We are here in Brazil to be able to study, and we are going to take full advantage of this opportunity so that we can build a better future and help those in need," said 15-year-old Mahsa Saket.

Mahsa is the sister of Umna Saket, 17, and Mohammad Wagas Saket, 14. All three are enrolled at Conde do Pinhal State School.

A Future Full of Opportunities

Before leaving Afghanistan, the siblings never imagined they would have access to education. Now, Umna is participating in two pre-scientific research projects at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the field of exact sciences.

The Afghan student dreams of becoming a computer engineer, and Mahsa is considering following in her older sister's footsteps. The opportunity to study and plan for the future is shaping the 15-year-old’s aspirations.

"Here, we gained hope that we had lost. I want to study. Over there, there is no opportunity. Women have to stay home, do household chores, have children, and cannot study or work. I think Mahsa’s future will be completely different now," she said.

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Painful Memories

Mohammad Saket became emotional as he recalled the hardships they faced in Afghanistan. Besides the restrictions on his sisters’ education, their father, an international journalist, was persecuted by the Taliban.

"I remember everything we went through, and it makes me cry. We couldn’t study, we couldn’t leave the house. My father was hunted down and received death threats," he said.

Immigrant Students

According to the State Department of Education, 22,100 foreign students are currently enrolled in São Paulo’s public school system, marking a 75.4% increase compared to 2020, when there were 12,600 international students.

The trend is also evident in São Carlos, where foreign student enrollment has increased by 87%. Last year alone, the growth was 22%, bringing the total number of foreign students in the city’s state schools to 116.

Social scientist Aline Zambello commented on the increasing number of immigrants arriving in Brazil.

"Brazil is a country that welcomes refugees and immigrants from different backgrounds. In the future, we may even have climate refugees, not just those fleeing economic, social, or political crises. Our country may need to accommodate more people seeking a better and more dignified life," she explained.

Adapting to a New Life

For the Saket siblings, the sense of security they have found in São Carlos has made all the difference. Although the transition from Persian to Portuguese was challenging, they quickly adapted. Today, they are fluent in Portuguese and communicate with ease.

At first, the language barrier was a struggle. Umna recalled how she used online resources and translation tools to learn.

"When I arrived, I didn’t understand anything. I would go home and look things up on the internet, watch YouTube videos in different languages, and use Google Translate to help me understand. My friends and teachers also helped a lot by translating for me. But now that I’ve learned, it's much easier to communicate and interact," she said.

Mohammad, 14, added that it took about six months for him to become fluent. He emphasized the importance of the warm welcome he received. "I made many friends because everyone welcomed me with open arms."

Challenges of a New Culture

Adapting to a new country goes beyond language—it also involves understanding different cultural, religious, and social norms. Schools have had to adjust as well.

Debora Blanco, the regional education director in São Carlos, highlighted the challenges of ensuring immigrant students receive a proper education.

"We focus on welcoming students, supporting their emotional well-being, and ensuring their safety. It’s a significant challenge because they arrive under different circumstances—whether for education, political asylum, or economic reasons. We have to adapt to their needs while respecting their cultures.

Religious diversity is an important aspect of this, and we have learned a lot through the coexistence of different traditions. Understanding the experiences of students from different backgrounds has enriched our schools," she concluded.

Source: G1