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Rohingya woman helping community members to adapt to life in Japan
Khadiza's first initiative was to start accompanying female Rohingya refugees to hospitals and schools, before opening a Japanese language school as a volunteer while offering consultations to help them solve their problems.
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Newly-arrived Rohingya refugees receive food while on their boat after authorities prevented the refugees from disembarking and ordered them to remain on board the vessel at Leuge Beach in Aceh on Jan. 29, 2025. At least 75 Rohingya refugees arrived by boat in Aceh on Jan. 29, but were stopped by authorities from disembarking, according to local officials. (AFP/Cek Mad)
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Rohingya immigrant in Tokyo is helping other women from her minority group who have fled persecution in Myanmar to learn Japanese and work after fulfilling her own dream of studying at university.
Khadiza Begum, 39, was born and raised in Bangladesh where her father had fled after being accused in Myanmar of joining an anti-government movement. In her childhood, she tried to hide her Rohingya origins fearing discrimination and had to repeatedly change schools once her identity was revealed.
"I wanted to study at university and do something for others, but it was impossible as a Rohingya," she said.
Her turning point came in 2006 when she married a man who had been recognized as a refugee in Japan. Moving to Tokyo, she studied at a Japanese language school while earning money through a part-time job, before entering Aoyama Gakuin University.
After graduation, she moved to Tatebayashi, northwest of Tokyo, home to the largest concentration of Rohingyas in Japan. There, she found out that many Rohingya women faced hurdles in everyday life, such as trouble receiving hospital care and communicating with their children's schools.
Her first initiative was to start accompanying them to hospitals and schools. She then opened a Japanese language school as a volunteer while offering consultations to help them solve their problems. She has also launched classes to teach English and the Rohingya language to the children of Rohingya immigrants.
Returning to Tokyo in 2019, she conducted graduate studies in human rights and development at Waseda University and joined a company that handles accounting and clerical work, helping other Rohingya women find work there.
"I want to focus on women's health and education for children to create an environment where Rohingyas can have dreams," said Khadiza Begum, who now works at a Uniqlo clothing store while continuing her volunteering activities.
