Every family reunited

Forced to flee his family and everything he'd ever known, Ali Mashal's story is one of survival, hope and determination.

Year after year, countless families are separated by armed conflict, disaster or migration.

The impact of this, of not knowing the fate of a loved one, is one of the most damaging and long-lasting consequences of a humanitarian crisis.

For Ali Mashal, fleeing his home and everything he’d ever known is a pain he knows all too well. At just 15 years old, Ali was faced with an agonising decision a young man of his age should never have to make: whether to flee and leave everything and everyone behind, in a desperate search for safety.

As life was getting increasingly dangerous for teenagers in Afghanistan, especially for anyone aspiring to be educated, Ali was forced to say goodbye to his family, leaving his home country on a perilous journey alone, one that first took him from Kabul to India, and then on to Malaysia, where he took a three-and-half-hour boat ride to Indonesia.

“We didn’t have life-jackets,” recalls Ali, with fear in his eyes.

“There were about 30 people, sitting so close. It was scary, every time the boat jumped, we had to hold on so we wouldn’t fall in the water. I’ll never forget this.”

Upon arrival, Ali was placed in a facility with other displaced people and for nine months, he was only allowed one hour outside in the courtyard. He had one hour to stretch his legs, only one hour of limited freedom, and with very little to do, there were times he thought about giving up. “Life over there was so hard,” he says.

It was during this time that Ali discovered boxing – a hobby which helped him get through his terribly difficult living conditions. As a strong enthusiast of boxing movies, Ali asked his friend, another refugee who was trained in Muay Thai, if he could teach him how to box.

“If I hadn’t had boxing, I wouldn’t be living, I would have given up,” explains Ali.

The Kiwi dream

After five long years in Indonesia, Ali’s refugee claim was assessed by the United Nations and he was finally offered resettlement in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Arriving in Auckland in March 2019, he was determined to achieve his two dreams: bring his family who was still in Afghanistan to New Zealand and become New Zealand’s next boxing champion.

It was on that very first day that Ali explained his situation to Immigration New Zealand, knowing he had to do everything he could to bring his family to safety.

He was persistent, calling them every day after that. The idea of seeing his mother and two brothers again meant everything to Ali, helping him cope with the never-ending fear and anxiety of knowing just how dangerous their lives were, wondering if the day would ever come that he would see them again.

Another way he tried to ease this pain was to work on his plan to become a professional boxer, quickly joining a boxing club and training every day.

“Every morning, I would be at the gym. At home, I would feel lonely and think of my family, question myself, worry about my family’s safety. So, I’d go everyday, hit the bag and feel better. Boxing has helped me sleep at night,” says Ali.

Ali’s ultimate goal is to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, so he didn’t waste any time and just two weeks into his training, Ali fought his first fight in Wellington.