This is a story about my friend Abdul who I met in Fremantle in Australia. As he couldn't write very well in English his friend Papa Kpatar wrote about him. He used to live in Afghanistan where there was a big war. I hate wars because innocent people get hurt, killed or lose their homes. Often the people who start the war and fight come from somewhere else and it is not their homes and land that is lost. Tamaiti is a peaceful teddy. I think we can always find a way to sort out our differences and arguments without fighting. Click here to hear a poem about peace, then read Abdul's story. It is sad but with a happy ending.

Abdul's story

Abdul is my friend. He came from Afghanistan. Abdul left Afghanistan because there was war. He doesn't really know why people were fighting and he doesn't know what started the war, but he was scared. Abdul was scared of the rockets, guns and bombs. He lived under the ground with his family. His family built a home underground when they knew the war was coming. They had everything they needed in there, but it was cold and dark. They used candles and oil lamps for light. Abdul didn't get to see other people because it was scary to go out. He knew that people were trying to kill him and his family.

His father was killed when he was about four years old, but he doesn't really remember that now. Sometimes when the bombs stopped the oldest man in the family went out and got food from the garden for people to eat. After that war when Russia wanted to take Afghanistan, the Taliban-they fought about eight years in Afghanistan. When the women get out of their houses the Taliban got them and killed them. Then the Sunni Muslims tried to fight with the Shiite Muslims but the Shiite Muslims went to Pakistan. And Abdul and his family went to Pakistan too. Abdul and his family wrote a letter from Pakistan to the United Nations to see if any other country would take them. The people who were working in the UN rang to Abdul's family to come for an interview. They asked the American and Canadian governments if they could let them in their countries, and they said, "We don't want them."

Then his family asked the Australian government, "Can we come to Australia?" and they said "yes." After the interview Abdul and his family went for blood test. The blood test was to see if they were sick and to check if the children belonged to the parents. It was Abdul's first time to get on a plane and he felt happy and safe. Abdul didn't have any family in Australia so it was difficult to know about the country. Before they came to Australia, Abdul's family was given a letter telling them about the laws in Australia, but they didn't know how to read English so they didn't understand. All they brought with them from Pakistan was some clothes, shoes and some biscuits.

When they arrived, the Catholic Migrant Centre came to the International Airport and took them to their home and showed them everything. They also gave a list of emergency numbers. It was very difficult for Abdul to know how to speak English. He was first sad but when he made new friends then he started to learn how to speak English. The Catholic Migrant Centre sent Abdul to Beaconsfield Primary School. After two months he started to speak English a little bit.

Abdul has to help his Mum for many things because his Mum can't speak English. He helps her to read the newspaper, to rent a house and to look after his brother and sister. In Abdul's culture, if you are the person who is oldest in your family you have to look after your family. Abdul is helping his Mum all the time because he is now 13 years old, and the oldest man in the family. In Australia, Abdul lives with his Mum brother and sister in Spearwood. I wish Abdul can get to see some of his family again in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He wants people in Australia to know that the war is still going on in Afghanistan and if there is anything people in Australia can do to help. He would still like to go back to his country but he sees Australia as a second home.