At just 13 years old, Sepanta has reached out directly to us to tell his family's story. They had good lives in Iran, but were forced to flee for their Christian faith. Since 2012 they have lived in a refugee camp in Medan, Indonesia.

They do their best to give back to the camp that is still their home. But they have no hope and no future there. We can give them the hope and opportunity they lost by bringing them to Canada.

Name: Sepanta
Profile: 13-year-old boy from Iran, living with his family in a refugee camp in Medan, Indonesia, since 2012
Sister: 11 years old, has lived in the camp since the age of three
Mother: Child rights advocate, strong English, master of law - not pictured here for safety reasons
Father: Industrial designer, web designer, CNC operator, strong English
Risk : Capital punishment, for the crime of converting to Christianity
Need: Private sponsorship to Canada
Advantages: UNHCR-Refugee certified, full funding

Background

I am Sepanta, a 13 year old refugee boy. Growing up, my father worked as an industrial designer and my mother was a lawyer and advocate for children's rights in Tehran, Iran.

Our happiness as a family came to an end in 2012, and we had to flee Iran because of our Christian faith. I was just five years old.

"The day we left was full of terror. We had no time to pack or take even an item of our memories. I remember hearing, “Run , run!" My heartbeat was choking me and my father's hand, holding mine, was frozen and trembling."

We moved to Medan, Indonesia, and stayed in a refugee camp. we have been there ever since.

No one chooses refugee camps or strip searches where your body is left aching, but we chose because here is safer than our home and our survival is more important.

Current Challenges

In refugee camp I found myself missing the many things I left behind, my family members and friend who I may never meet again. We suffered a lot. My little sister and I have witnessed violence, and for many years were deprived of school. We have spent our entire childhood away from home.

“Everything else in, it is replaceable, but nothing can bring my childhood back. I’m a teen now, but my heart goes to my sister She has still a little time to feel the sweet taste of childhood, to play happily in a home."

My family, like other refugees, are living with no right to work, study, drive or travel. My parents have to endure harassment and a life of limbo and constant threats. These conditions have deeply affected the physical and psychological well-being of our family.

What Keeps us Going

Still, we do our best. Eight years living in refugee camp in exile, couldn't defeat us to stop dreaming for a peaceful future in a safe home like Canada.

“I believe, although we have been deprived of our home and human rights but we must not deprived of our future. A refugee is, someone who survived and who can create the future”

Both of my sister and I have learned three languages: English, Bahasa Indonesia and Persian. Now I am teaching other kids who are home-schooling in the camps to learn English.

My parents share our love of learning, and have dedicated themselves to improving their skills through online courses from Michigan, Penn and Emory universities in the US. They have taken on leadership roles at the refugee camps and with the IOM, and use their spare time to serve as volunteer teachers for Indonesian orphans.

How You Can help

Our one hope: the resettlement sponsorship program of Canada can help bring us to a safe country that we can call home.

To turn this hope into reality, we are looking for a private sponsorship group - five people in a Canadian community who can help us start our new lives. We have already started fundraising to cover the costs.

Whenever the group of 5 is completed, the donors have committed to cover the rest of the costs of our sponsorship. That relieves our sponsor group from having to do any fundraising.

If you are interested in joining our team of sponsors, you can reach out us directly on Instagram or Facebook, or contact Stephen Watt in Canada.

We just need a chance. When my dad gets to Canada he plans to continue with his work as an industrial designer and my mom plans to continue with her work as a child advocate to rebuild our lives again. My sister and I can go to school and have an opportunity to make a bright and amazing future.

THANK YOU!