From House Fire Survivor to Inspiring Teacher

In 2014, Mohammed Ierfan’s life was turned upside down.

A devastating house fire reduced his family’s home to ashes and left them with nothing.

With his parents overwhelmed by loss, Mohammed made the painful decision to leave school and find work in a garment factory so he could help his family survive.

For months, Mohammed and his loved ones slept on cardboard—the only “mattress” they could afford. The days were long, the labor grueling, and Mohammed often felt broken and defeated. Yet even in his darkest moments, he held tight to a single, stubborn dream: one day, he would return to the classroom.

Determined to rewrite his future, Mohammed saved every cent he could and enrolled himself back in school. By day he labored for his family; by night he pored over textbooks by lamplight. Doubt and exhaustion crept in, but Joel’s belief that “my past doesn’t define me” kept him moving forward.

Years of hard work and sacrifice paid off.

Today, Mohammed Ierfan is a proud graduate with a Bachelor of Education—and he stands every morning at the front of a high school classroom, inspiring students with the very story of his own resilience.

To anyone who’s dropped out, lost hope, or faces seemingly insurmountable odds, Mohammed’s message is clear:

“Get back up. Try again. Your dreams are still possible.”