Hello!! My name is Marta and I'm a student at United World Colleges in Wales. I am raising funds for women's fundamental human right to education.

As Benjamin Franklin said, education is the best investment you can make. It is the only thing that no one can ever take away from you. And at the same time, it is your key to success, a tool that will always help and accompany you wherever you go. For the past 4-5 years I had been volunteering in afterschool centres in Windhoek's informal settlements. This has helped me see firsthand how transformative education is, the potential it unlocks and the voices it empowers.

However, this reality is not shared by all. In Afghanistan, among other stumbling blocks, women are denied this fundamental right simply because of their gender. Today, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are banned from attending secondary and higher education, leaving 74% of girls out of school.

This is why I’m raising funds for the Malala Fund which supports girl’s education globally. In Afghanistan they build networks of resistance and collaborate with local organisations to provide online and in-person programmes offering digital literacy, psychosocial support, mentorship, and recognised qualifications

To stand in solidarity with these girls, I am shaving my head at UWCAC’s Amnesty headshave. This act represents the extreme measures some girls take, such as being a Bacha posh. This is a practice where daughters, especially in families without boys, disguise themselves as boys until they hit puberty to, among other things, gain freedoms like attending school, working, and moving freely in public.

Whether small or big, every contribution counts. I’d be incredibly appreciative if you could also share this with friends and family. Thank you so much for your support and taking the time to read this.