#WithRefugees | Mojtaba dreams of finding a cure for cancer

Description

Stand #WithRefugees, sign the petition today http://www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/petit... Mojtaba Tavakoli was 13 years old when he flled the Taliban. He had only attended primary school. Now 22, he is studying molecular biology at the Medical University of Vienna and aiming for a future in cancer research. In 2006 the Tavakoli family, members of Afghanistan’s oppressed Hazara minority, sent two of their sons to Europe in 2006 to escape the Taliban. After his older brother Morteza, 18, drowned in the Aegean Sea, Mojtaba continued the journey alone. In Austria, he came under the care and supported of an Austrian couple, Marion Weigl and Bernhard Wimmer. Once he was granted asylum in Austria, Mojtaba was able to bring his Afghan family to join him. Another brother, Mustafa, 12, died of cancer in Vienna in 2014. Personal loss and the kindness of those who supported him motivates Mojtaba. "I have seen things that people twice my age have not seen", he says. "This makes me strict with myself to use my opportunities and make my family proud." Add your name to the #WithRefugees petition to send a clear message to governments that they must act with solidarity and shared responsibility. www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/

Metadata

Published to Youtube on: 20/06/2016

Archived on: 08/10/2025

Original URL (may no longer be available): https://youtube.com/watch?v=psjtHiUZEMo