Sayed Sadaat used to be a communications minister in the Afghan government before moving to Germany last September in the hope of a better future. Now he is a delivery man in the eastern city of Leipzig.
He said some at home criticised him for taking such a job after having served in the government for two years, leaving office in 2018. But for Sadaat, a job is a job.
"I have nothing to feel guilty about," the 49-year-old said, standing in his orange Lieferando uniform next to his delivery bike.
"I hope other politicians also follow the same path, working with the public rather than just hiding."
His story has gained particular prominence with the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.
Family and friends of his also want to leave - hoping to join the thousands of others on evacuation flights or trying to find other routes out.
With the withdrawal of US troops on the horizon, the number of Afghan asylum seekers in Germany has risen since the beginning of the year, jumping by more than 130%, data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees showed.
But even with his background, Sadaat struggled to find a job in Germany that matched his experience. With degrees in IT and telecoms, Sadaat had hoped to find work in a related field. But with no German, his chances were slim.
"I am proud that I am doing it, otherwise I could have become one of the corrupt ministers, I could have made millions of dollars and could have bought buildings here, hotels here or in Dubai and I wouldn't have needed to work.
"But I am proud that my soul is happy and I have nothing to be feeling guilty - so I am doing an ordinary job and I hope other politicians also follow the same way to work with the public rather than just keeping hiding," said Sadaat, who also holds British citizenship.
Every day he does four hours of German at a language school before starting a six-hour evening shift delivering meals for Lieferando, where he started this summer.
"It doesn't matter! I was before a minister serving people and now I am a Lieferando courier driving Lieferando's services to people. It still is serving people," he says.
