By The Rohingya Post

His journey has taken a turn into one which inspires many youngsters for his dedication in breaking barriers of language and culture, desire to pursue a formal education, and commitment in contributing to the local Irish society through sports and inclusion

CARLOW: Mohammed Ismail, 21, was honoured by An Garda Sóchána (the Irish Police) with an individual award on Thursday, November 7.

Ismail’s positive contributions to his Rohingya community and the Irish society in Carlow, is considered to be an extraordinary story of academic, sport and social inclusion excellence.

He was born in Nayapara Refugee Camp, Bangladesh where his family took refuge after fleeing the genocide in his parents’ birthplace Myanmar (Burma) in 1991-2.

At the age of eleven, Ismail was resettled in Carlow, Ireland in April 2009 under the coordinated Irish government and UNHCR refugee resettlement programme.

Before his arrival in Carlow, he had no education, English language, citizenship or opportunity for community engagement.

Ismail’s journey has taken a turn into one which inspires many youngsters for his dedication in breaking barriers of language and culture, desire to pursue a formal education, and commitment in contributing to the local Irish society through sports and inclusion.

Ismail is now in his second year of Bachelor of Engineering Aircraft Systems at IT (Institute of Technology) Carlow.

He is also the vice-captain of Carlow Cricket Club which he and his Rohingya community have re-established upon their arrivals in Carlow and brought many trophies to his new home Carlow.

Ismail is also an active member of Rohingya Action Ireland, a local Rohingya organisation founded within the framework of community development principles to highlight and explore cultural, social and political opportunities to advance the human rights of Rohingya, and to adhere the principles of community development of collaboration, empowerment, social justice, gender equality, community self-determination, participation and inclusiveness.

“This honour goes to those who have implanted the seed of hope in me and our Rohingya community, to those who have given us a new life, to those volunteers and organisations who have dedicated their time and energy to make us feel at home, to those who have embraced us warmly in Carlow, to An Garda Sóchána which constantly sacrifice in protecting us safe and guiding us to respect law and order, to those youngsters who have made extraordinary achievement to make the Irish society a better one, and to our Rohingya community back home in Myanmar where they face the genocide and in the Bangladesh refugee camps where they live a mere life without justice, home and hope,” invigorated Ismail dedicates the award.

Kilkenny Carlow Youth Awards were the first local honours bestowed to youths aged between 13 and 21 across Kilkenny and Carlow counties where they bring positive changes.

Eleven honours in five main categories and six District Awards were handed out including the biggest award of the night that Ismail received at Hotel Kilkenny.

Following the individual award, Mohammed Ismail will reportedly be nominated for the national award.

“No matter from where we come from, no matter what colour we are, and no matter what faith we follow, each of us has responsibility to respect each other, to stand with each other and to feel the sense of responsibility for the community where we live. The world is a beautiful place. Each of us has responsibility to make it and keep it beautiful,” emphasised Mohammed Ismail who also won Edmund Rice Award at St. Mary’s Academy CBS Carlow in 2017.