| Case:Ilham from Afghanistan Start date: march 7, 2021 Support: living costs and support to get a permit to stay somewhere Budget needed: monthly €350 for living costs plus budget for a permanent solution Ilham is a member of this community. If you want to get in touch or have a question for him, you can ask him directly via his profile page. |
Update July 2021 – Health struggles and financial woes have sent this twenty-something atheist back to a small Turkish city after a move to Istanbul proved too costly. “Without school I can’t stay here and without proper health I won’t be able to study,” said Ilham, who suffers from insomnia, allergies, fatigue and issues with the intense Turkish summers (30 + Celsius with high humidity common all summer).
When the Secular Underground Network (SUN) touched base with Ilham in May he had just relocated to Istanbul in hopes of furthering his studies and finding physical safety from those who would harm him because of his atheism. But his health, living arrangements and costs in Istanbul made it difficult for him to continue there. The young Afghan can only stay in Turkey if he remains in school. He returned to the small university city where he first set foot after fleeing a dangerous situation in Afghanistan. Once again Ilham (not his real name to protect his safety) faces a conundrum. He needs to be healthy to study and he needs to study to stay.
“Because living in Istanbul was very costly and in bad conditions I decided to take the risk and return to (this city) since my university is here,” recounted Ilham. “I keep a low profile and try my best not to go out much and not see the individuals that tried to attack and harm me.”
Ilham shares a small, barren apartment with a friend and another roommate. They have no refrigerator, no air conditioning and no fan. Ilham hand-washes his clothes in a bucket in the austere bathroom. He has a few dried goods on shelves for food. Without a refrigerator, he needs to shop each day, which is extra costly.
Ilham needs your help. His short-tem goal is to get healthy so he can study. His long-term goal is to get to an atheist-friendly country so he can achieve his potential and be free from those who wish to harm him because he does not believe in their God.
