Poor student tops university entrance exams

KABUL (Pajhwok): An underprivileged student from northern Baghlan province, Mohammad Qasim Mohammadi, who topped recent Kankoor or nationwide university entrance exams, on Tuesday said economic hurdles did not avert his focus from studying.

Mohammadi scored 354.34 points out of 360 in last year’s exams and stood tall among 226,000 students from across the country. The 24-year-old, born in Dahan-e-Ghori district of Baghlan, is a son of Mohammad Reza, a poor street vendor, who sells plastic shoes and sandals.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News his family had left the country twice for Pakistan due to economic predicaments. Last year, he finished high school in Quetta city the capital of Balochistan province.

Mohammadi said his school back in Quetta belonged to Afghans and teaching the same syllabus that Afghanistan has.

Three months prior to the Kankoor examinations, he said, his family moved back to Kabul where they dwell in west of the city.

His family had financial difficulties and to make ends meet, majority of his family members were weaving carpets.

“It wasn’t unexpected for me to top these exams, but still when I came to know that I topped I was so much happy that I can’t express it,” he added.

He still faced financial problems and urged the higher education ministry to provide him with hostel and other facilities.

He has chosen Kabul Medical University and said with this field he could better serve the people.

Mohammdi has one brother and four sisters. His father is a street vendor where he sells plastic sandals.

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