‘Starting from zero was very challenging, but challenges are what make you stronger in life’

When first meeting Afghan refugee and intern at Eversheds Sutherland Safora Mohammadi, she speaks with a quiet but powerful determination, alluding to the obstacles she’s faced. Forced to leave her home in Afghanistan, she came to Ireland to not only seek a better life for herself, but to be an advocate for those who’ve faced similar injustice.

Safora Mohammadi grew up in Afghanistan’s southeast province of Ghazni with aspirations to be a diplomat and represent her people. She completed a political science degree in 2021 to help make that dream come true, finishing at the top of her class, which she credits to her parents’ unending support.

“My father is a big advocate of girls’ education. He sent my sister and me to the best available school and university, and I got my Bachelor’s in law and political science. I was very attached to my goals and was hoping to be a diplomat, serve my country and be a responsible citizen.”

So, when the Taliban took over Kabul, Safora and her family knew that they’d have to leave their home, and everyone they loved, in the hope of finding a better life.

August 15, 2021, started out like any other day for the then-22-year-old Safora Mohammadi. She woke up early and headed into her office in Kabul. But that morning, things quickly changed.

“I worked at a Dutch NGO at the time, and around 10am we received an email from security asking us to leave the office and go home – the Taliban had taken over Kabul. I was filled with fear and anxiety, and I felt like there was no hope. It was a very hard day for me. The whole way back home I thought that everything was finished. Millions of people’s hopes were just shattered in a matter of hours.

“With the help of my father’s employer, who was headquartered in Washington DC, we were able to get a visa for us to come to Ireland, but we couldn’t leave directly from Kabul. The whole airport was surrounded by the Taliban and American soldiers, and they wouldn’t let us leave, saying we should stay in our country and accept the Taliban regime. So we had to get another visa to travel to Pakistan first, then from Pakistan to Ireland.”

Nearly a month later, Safora and her family finally reached Ireland and were brought to a direct provision centre in Mosney, Co Meath. When I asked her to describe her feelings upon arrival, she gushed with gratitude and said she finally felt safe.

“I have found the Irish people very welcoming from the first day. I think they are very open people, friendly and sympathetic, and I’m so happy that I’m in Ireland. I’m very lucky.”

After settling in and adjusting to life here, Safora was eager to continue her career plans and started her search for a job. She signed up for employment training with the Dublin City University MELLIE Project, which supports international protection applicants and refugees, and she was able to secure an internship at law firm Eversheds Sutherland.

“Life is very random and sometimes things are not in your control. When we left our country, we left everything behind when we came to Ireland, so starting from zero was very challenging – but you always learn from challenges, and they make you strong. One thing I’ve learned is it’s so important to always believe in yourself and never give up.

“I was looking for a job for a while, so when I got offered the role at Eversheds, hope came back to me – I can’t explain how happy I was.”