Refugee sports coach and youth counsellor honored at regional 2020 Nansen Refugee Award virtual ceremony

TEHRAN – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, jointly with the Embassy of Switzerland and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in the Islamic Republic of Iran, today held a ceremony to present Ms. Rozma Ghafouri with the Nansen Refugee Award for Asia region.

Rozma, a refugee who fled Afghanistan 23 years ago, was selected as the regional winner on 21 September 2020 for her exemplary work as part of the Youth Initiative Fund in Iran. Due to the COVID-19 situation and the need to restrict physical movement to avoid transmitting the virus, the award ceremony was celebrated virtually, with the attendance of BAFIA, the diplomatic community, and UN and NGO partners in Iran.

“Rozma’s great personal resolve and her commitment to helping Afghan children build a better future for themselves is a heartwarming example of the power of an individual to inspire and mobilise action,” said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Iran.

“There are many refugees like Ms. Rozma in Iran, with different talents and capabilities, like working as university scholars and professors. With suitable planning and investment, they can be very important factors in reconstructing Afghanistan,” said Mr. Mahdi Mahmoudi, the Director General of BAFIA.

Launched in 2015, the Youth Initiative Fund helps children at risk through sports activities and counseling sessions. When helping to create a better future for children, the 29-year-old Rozma draws on her own at-times harsh childhood, when she had to work to help support her family and had little time to study or enjoy her childhood.

With the backing of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants’ Affairs (BAFIA) of the Iranian Ministry of Interior and UNHCR, the Youth Initiative Fund helps some 400 children per year in Shiraz, an example of refugees contributing to their own and the host community.

“Norway is a consistent partner in supporting the UNHCR’s work on refugees and displaced people, and the Nansen Award is an important tool in highlighting the humanitarian efforts on the ground by people like Rozma Ghafouri, who carry on Nansen's resilience and efforts, “ said His Excellency Sigvald Hauge, Ambassador of Norway in Iran.

"I was deeply impressed by Rozma's project and I am convinced that she is the right person to receive the regional Nansen award. With the counseling support she provides, she manages to get children off the streets and back into school. Her work serves as an inspiration to many refugees and Iranians," said His Excellency Markus Leitner, Ambassador of Switzerland in Iran.

Rozma is among four other regional winners and a global laureate, who have been celebrated for this year’s Nansen Refugee Award for their humanitarianism and efforts to improve the lives of forcibly displaced people.

Their service and dedication to the protection of forcibly displaced people reflect the essence and spirit of Fridtjof Nansen. Nansen was a renowned scientist, polar explorer, and statesman, and the first UNHCR High Commissionaire was known for his perseverance in the face of adversity.

The Swiss and Norwegian Governments are UNHCR’s partners in the Nansen Refugee Award project.

For further information, please contact:

• Farha Bhoyroo, [email protected], +98 912 132 7183
• Hossein Eidizadeh, [email protected], +98 21 8934 9147