I am raising funds to help a young Afghan woman I mentor through the Columbia University Afghan Student Alliance safely travel to Germany, where she has been offered the chance to resume her university education after years of being barred from studying under Taliban rule.

For security reasons, I cannot share her name publicly. Women who pursue education, particularly those involved in informal teaching initiatives, remain at risk of Taliban retaliation.

Before the Taliban banned women from higher education, she was studying engineering in Afghanistan and had distinguished herself as an excellent student. When universities were closed to women in 2021, her education was abruptly cut short. Rather than abandoning her goals, she continued studying independently while searching for ways to continue her education abroad.

Over the past several years, she taught herself English in preparation for applying to international programs and scholarships. At the same time, she quietly organized and taught in a small underground school for girls in her community who were no longer permitted to attend school.

She has now earned a scholarship opportunity in Germany that will cover her tuition and living expenses while she studies engineering. It is a rare and hard-won opportunity, one that reflects both her academic ability and her persistence over the past several years.

The remaining challenge is simply getting there.

Under current Taliban restrictions, she cannot travel alone and must be accompanied by her father to Pakistan for the visa process. Because of rising tensions and instability affecting travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan, visa and travel costs have increased substantially in recent months.

We are seeking to raise $5,000 to cover:

* Two visas for travel through Pakistan ($2,000 each)

* Travel expenses to Pakistan ($300)

* Travel from Pakistan to Germany ($700)

This funding would allow her to leave Afghanistan safely and begin the next stage of her education and life. All funds will be sent directly to the EU-based non-profit organization that is arranging my mentee's travel to Germany and has been facilitating her university application process.

Any contribution, no matter the amount, would make a meaningful difference. Sharing the campaign also helps enormously. Thank you for supporting her future.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2026 --- USE AND TRANSFER OF FUNDS.

For transparency, I would like to provide an update on how the funds raised through this fundraiser will be transferred and used, as circumstances have changed since the fundraiser was originally created.

I, Tatiana Zinn, am the organizer of this fundraiser and the mentor of the Afghan student this fundraiser supports. Imagine Foundation e.V., a nonprofit organization based in Germany, is assisting my mentee as she prepares to pursue her education and establish her life in Germany. Claudia Langer is a representative of Imagine Foundation e.V. and has been our point of contact with the organization. Claudia is connected to me through her role at Imagine Foundation e.V. and is connected to my mentee through the organization's work supporting her.

When this fundraiser was created, the funds were intended primarily to cover the visa and travel expenses necessary for my mentee to leave Afghanistan and ultimately travel to Germany. However, shortly after the fundraiser was created, it was placed under review by GoFundMe, and the funds raised were not available for transfer while that review remained ongoing. Because my mentee's travel and visa arrangements were time-sensitive, those arrangements had to move forward before the fundraiser proceeds became available.

My mentee has now safely left Afghanistan and is expected to arrive in Germany in early October. Her travel to Germany has already been arranged, so the funds raised through this fundraiser will no longer be used for visa or travel expenses. Instead, they will support her education and the expenses associated with settling in Germany, including school supplies and other necessary educational and living costs.

The GoFundMe proceeds will first be transferred to my verified U.S. bank account. I will then transfer the funds by bank transfer directly to Imagine Foundation e.V.'s organizational bank account in Germany. Imagine Foundation e.V. will use the funds to support my mentee for the educational and living expenses described above.

Claudia will not receive the funds personally. She is involved in this fundraising effort solely in her capacity as a representative of Imagine Foundation e.V. and as our point of contact with the organization.