Believe in yourself
Farah*, a 19-year-old living in Indonesia with her parents, is one of our first female graduates from the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Professional course in our E3 programme. She tells us her story.
Writing this takes me back all the way to 9 years ago, when I was just ten. That was when my real journey began. People in my country have always lived in fear and really no one could be sure of their tomorrow. When we left Afghanistan, we needed to go through many difficulties to reach a place where we can live peacefully. Still, we left our country with the hope that we would find a country which gives us opportunities to fulfill our dreams; one which values people despite their differences in origin, skin colour and language.
While living in my own country was tough, migrating to another country wasn’t easy too. I feel that when the word “migrant” is put on you, you cannot expect to be treated the same as the people living in their own country. I’ve lived in a peaceful country such as Indonesia for almost a decade now, but I’ve never had the opportunity to go to school. For the ‘crime’ of being a migrant, I’ve had to put all my dreams behind and live my life here always feeling dependent on others. It was a painful fact when I realized that no matter whether I lived in my country or abroad, I could not go to school or work towards my dreams. The only hope that I cling on to, is that no matter what we all face, there is always that one friend who is there with us through our difficulties. That true friend is “GOD”.
I am now learning to stand on my own feet. I decided to study online, instead of just sitting and watching my future and my life waste away in front of my eyes. Besides working on my English, I started to learn about computer programmes. In 2022, I found out that JRS Singapore was offering an opportunity for learning. I was truly glad that there are still some people in this world who think about us refugees too. Not wanting to lose even a single chance to learn, I started my path towards the Cisco programme. It lasted till April 2023.
With the help of JRS Singapore mentors, I became Cisco certified and I am now an intern with JRS Singapore. I now live my life with a different perspective. These days, I don’t just wait for opportunities from other people; I will study and work hard for my future.
*Names have been changed for privacy purposes.
I just want to tell to every girl all over the world, to never stop working for your dreams. To be strong and believe in yourself. To be sure that you can do more than what you think you can. And that when God closes a door to you, He opens many other doors too.