I Escaped the Taliban to Pursue My Education

My name is Asma Paigeer. In 2021, I was forced to escape Afghanistan as the Taliban took control of the country. Since then, I have been living as a parolee in the United States and was separated from my family. I am very fortunate enough to tell my story with Glenn Beck in an interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkHUjXCZDUM

I was born and raised without gender discrimination in Afghanistan – so I graduated high school, pursued my undergraduate studies in Bangladesh, and even accepted to Trent University in Canada to start in Fall of 2021 – but, the Taliban has taken over my country and seized any basic right women ever had.

On August 15, 2021, my entire life changed forever as the former Afghanistan government fell in the hands of the Taliban. My father worked with the US forces and the US government for many years. We were a high target for the Taliban soldiers and the Taliban have seized all of my family’s assets, to include our house, car, and bank accounts. My family and I attempted to escape Afghanistan through the Kabul airport, but in the chaos, I separated from my parents and ended up with my 150 female classmates from college on seven buses. Our buses were denied entry to the Kabul airport by the Taliban several times as the Taliban guarded all the entrance gates to the airport. We could not escape.

I, along with my 150 classmates, were around the Kabul airport when the suicide bomb exploded, which resulted in deaths of a dozen civilians including 13 US soldiers. Although we were threatened to stay silent and not communicate with anyone, I shared our map location and situational information to my father’s former US forces colleagues. I did it in the hopes of being rescued from the Taliban, potentially at the cost of my life! I covertly provided this essential information with the U.S. Forces, and they were able to locate us and rescue all seven buses with my 150 classmates. Eventually, my efforts succeeded, and we safely made it to the U.S including the last three girls that have been taken as hostages by the Taliban.

Miraculously, I am now safe in the USA and living with a host family who have been so gracious to me. I have been given a second chance to realize my dreams in the safety of the USA. I am so grateful for the US Forces and NGOs (non-government organizations) who served in Afghanistan for 20 years. It may not have been their mission, but their presence saved my generation of women. We were educated, and we worked and lived in an environment of equality. They made a huge difference for all of us, and their sacrifices and service are deeply appreciated by my generation of Afghan women. Now the Taliban rules in Afghanistan, and they have taken away all rights and privileges of women.

I believe that education is the bridge from my current life to the future that I will build for myself and my family. I have been accepted to Virginia Tech, and I am currently studying FinTech and Big Data Analytics. My vision is to develop a modern financial system for a post-Taliban Afghanistan, a modern system to be auditable, taxable, resilient, and able to be used by all people. It will replace the current Hawala financial system in Afghanistan, which is easily abused to facilitate human trafficking, terrorism, bribery, corruption, and money laundering. I am optimistic that a stable financial framework will create the necessary conditions for a stock market within Afghanistan, increasing internal investment and leads to economic prosperity. Eventually, I believe it will improve the standard of living for all my people.

I am asking you to donate to help me pursue my dream. These donations will directly go toward my education fund in Virginia Tech. I have started school as of August 2022, and since I am considered an out-of-state (international) student, I am not eligible for any scholarships or other financial aid. So, I must raise my own funds!

I know that sharing my own story will inspire other Afghan women and give them hope for a better future. I am also creating awareness about the harsh realities of Taliban brutality and violence towards women, much of which has not been publicized due to the absence of free media in Afghanistan.

If I don’t complete my university education, the Taliban will win.

If I complete my university education, I will win.

Help me win!

I invite you to read more about me and view my interviews here: www.asmapaigeer.com