Abdul Malik Ahmadzai dreamt of becoming a doctor, but the odds were against him: he was a refugee from Afghanistan living in Pakistan, and he lost his father to cancer while he was a ninth-grade student.
As his family struggled financially, at a young age Abdul had to find a job to support them. He learnt sewing and worked in a tailor’s shop, but even that did not distract him from pursuing his dream. He continued his education while working and saved up every rupee to cover his fees.
When he first heard of Alight Pakistan’s scholarship program, even his relatives were skeptical about his chances to get it to continue his studies. Undeterred, Abdul travelled alone to the capital city of Islamabad, passed the rigorous written exam, and excelled in his interview. He was selected as one of the scholarship recipients!
