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Once a minister in the Afghan government, Sayed Sadaat quit and moved to Germany.

Now the 50-year-old makes a living as a food delivery rider in the city of Leipzig.

According to Reuters, Sadaat has no misgivings about the job despite the criticism he has apparently received from observers back home.

"There is no shame in the job at all. Work is work," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

Quit politics due to corruption

Sadaat was a communications minister in the Afghan government from 2016 to 2018.

He eventually stepped down from his post, citing corruption in the government and the inner circle of former president Ashraf Ghani.

"Their demands were for private benefit, I wanted the money for government projects to be implemented properly," he said to AFP.

"So I could not fulfil their demands and then they tried to push me, put pressure on me from the president's side."

Couldn't find a job in Germany

Reuters reported that in 2020, Sadaat — who holds degrees in IT and telecommunications — left Afghanistan after the security situation in the beleaguered nation started to deteriorate.

He relocated to Germany, after assessing that prospects in his fields of study in the European country were good.

However, so far, he's found it hard to find a job that matches his experience and expertise due to his limited command of the German language.

As a result, Sadaat has been taking four-hour lessons daily at a language school, before hopping on his bike for a six-hour evening delivery shift.

According to AFP, the job pays up to €15 euros (S$24) an hour, enough for his living expenses, including rent of €420 (S$669) a month.

Afghans seeking asylum

Despite his experience of leaving Afghanistan being vastly different from those who have left recently, Sadaat has offered his help to the German government with around 4,000 Afgan's evacuated by the European country.

Already, about 210,000 Afghans have sought asylum in Germany since 2015, making them the second-largest group of people seeking protection in Germany.

"I can advise the German government on Afghanistan so that the Afghan people can benefit because I reflect the true picture there," he said to AFP.

And while Sadaat has said it is possible the Taliban might have "learnt from past mistakes" with regards to human and women's rights, the former cabinet minister hopes that the international community will not turn its back on Afghanistan.

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Top photo by Jens Schlueter/AFP via Getty Images