The father writes a timetable that he pins to the wall in their small earthen house. “You must make the most of every hour of the day. You must not waste a single minute”.

Muhammed’s timetable

5.00 a.m. The alarm goes off and Muhammed wakes up. He lingers in bed for a few minutes, then wakes his brothers, Arif and Amin. Their mother and younger brother Yahya are up already.

5.15 a.m. The call to prayer sounds from the mosque. Muhammed falls on his knees facing the Muslim holy city, Mecca, and prays Fajr, the morning prayer.

6.00 a.m. Tea and bread for breakfast.

6.45 a.m. Muhammed runs to school – he doesn’t want to be late!

11.15 a.m. Muhammed studies English at Sakena Yacoobi’s Learning Center. His teacher Zahra Alipour, who is 18, helps him. “Muhammed does well at school, but his family has no relatives here, so there’s no one who can help them. They are short of money, for example, Muhammed has the same shoes in summer and winter. It’s freezing when it snows. But I think he’ll be fine – he’s smart and he has lots of friends,” says Zahra.

1.30 p.m. Muhammed and his brother take it in turns to sit at the rug-loom. “I’m so used to making rugs that I usually put a book on the chair and read my homework while I’m doing it,” explains Muhammed.

4.30 p.m. Today there is no taekwondo practice, because the coach is away. Muhammed and his brothers practice their high kicks and splits in the garden instead. They do push-ups, stretches, and some sparring.

8.00 p.m. Muhammed does homework until his eyes ache. His father checks to make sure he isn’t cheating.

9.00 p.m. Time for bed!