A young man working as a porter in the city of Khost has recently succeeded in gaining admission to the Sheikh Zayed  University’s medical school in the province.

Eighteen-year-old Wajidullah said that poverty and unemployment could not deter him from his decision to pursue an education.

This young man, who has been a top student from first to twelfth grade, dreams of becoming a capable doctor in the future.

Wajidullah told TOLOnews: “Those who have the means should not betray their family and country. They should study well and take advantage of opportunities. Those who are in difficult circumstances should not use their problems as an excuse and should either work or go to school. They can do both if they want to.”

Wajidullah’s father, who is himself deprived of the ability to read and write, is very happy with his son’s success and urges other fathers to provide educational opportunities for their children.

Dina Gul, Wajidullah’s father, said: “When I learned that my son had succeeded, I was very happy. Then I prayed, God, make all Afghan youth successful. It is as if my own children have succeeded. Afghanistan is very wounded and we must serve it and lift it up on its feet.”

Naeqib Rasool Kaliwal, a teacher, said: “In almost two or three weeks, Wajidullah proved himself to us in such a way that all the teachers and administration paid attention to him. Wajidullah was with us for almost half a day, and after we left, he would work as a porter with a wheelbarrow.”

In this year’s Kankor exam, about one hundred thousand students participated, of which sixty-three thousand were admitted to public and private universities.