Rani Devalla Visakhapatnam

WhenZeinab Mohammadi and her sister Soolmaz Mohammadi got themselves enrolled into Pharm.D in 2018, little did they expect that by the end of the course, they would be disconnected from their families and depleted of income sources.

With dreams in their eyes, they joined Srinivasarao College of Pharmacy, affiliated with Andhra University, hoping to reunite with their families in Iran and restart a new life after completing the hospital internship programme.

However, their life turned topsy-turvy for the sisters following the West Asia war. “It is so difficult to communicate with our families now. Monthly income that used to be credited regularly came to a grinding halt for us. Now, we do not have any money to reach Iran and reunite with our families. We want this war to end quickly,” the sisters told The Hans India.

As their programme completes in a couple of months, the Iranian students say they have no financial assistance left, making it increasingly difficult for them to meet day-to-day expenses. With no support forthcoming from their families, they approached the District Collector seeking help.

With three children to care for and mounting expenses on the other side, both Iranian students sought the support of the district administration. As their appeal to the Revenue Officer circulated on various social media platforms, Andhra University dean international affairs Prof. Paul Douglas, said, “A group of Professors and international students are volunteering to lend financial assistance to the Iranian students by collecting funds.”

Understanding their situation, the school management in which their kids are studying also decided not to force the Iranian sisters to pay fees for their children.

In the meantime, district officials spoke to the Iranian sisters’ landlord and suggested not pressuring them regarding rent. On Thursday, the Iranian sisters received Rs 1 lakh aid through Sanjeevani Nidhi – District Relief Fund from district collector M Abhishikth Kishore along with Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi (SKML) Devasthanam.