I dream of a world where girls can be who they want to be, just like every other girl in the world—where girls have basic human rights and can decide for themselves what they want to do. Everyone knows the key to success is education, but there is a major lack of women’s education in Afghanistan. The female literacy rate is only about 20%,*2 with 3.7 million children out of school, 60% of whom are girls.
Tragically, only one in three girls are in school. Our mission as young people in this country is to help our fellow Afghans overcome this dire situation.
I was born and raised as a migrant in Pakistan to a supportive family who did their best for my education and future. When I was 13 years old, I came to Afghanistan for the first time. I met family, friends, and other people who were living there. Unfortunately, I learned that eight out of ten families had different rules for their daughters, whether about their education or other important life decisions. So many girls in this country are afraid of sharing what they want to do with their fathers and brothers. That was when I decided to do what I could for the girls in Afghanistan.
I joined Razia’s Ray of Hope after graduating at 17 years old, first as a teacher, and now work as a sponsorship program coordinator. I always make sure to help girls overcome all of their fear, make their own decisions, discuss their problems with their families, and participate in family discussions so their voices are heard. I have tried my best to not just teach them the topics from their books, but also boost their confidence to overcome those fears and tell their families what they want in life.
We have helped more than 700 girls attend school, with a total of 85 graduates. We have 20 midwives who graduated from our own midwifery institute, one of our girls is studying medicine in Turkey with a full scholarship, and some are studying at the American University of Afghanistan. These accomplishments have been a great boost in convincing other girls’ families to do the same.
And now, my dream is to start something similar in every part of Afghanistan. I want to provide girls with quality education and make sure every girl attends school and gets educated so they can achieve their dreams and make their own decisions.
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