The Project
Since 2021, women and girls in Afghanistan have been systematically excluded from secondary and higher education, pushed out of professional life, and erased from public space. Today, access to learning is severely restricted, and without alternative pathways, an entire generation risks being permanently cut off from education and economic independence.
Over the past months, I have been leading the design and launch of an education programme for Afghan women and girls composed of two complementary components:
- Online Web & AI Training (Ages 18–30): A professional training programme designed to equip women with practical, income-generating digital skills that can be used remotely, one of the few viable economic pathways still accessible to them.
- Underground Secondary Classroom (Younger Girls): A small, underground classroom for girls who cannot access online learning, building on trusted, secret community-based education networks already operating across the country.
Both programmes were developed in collaboration with Afghan-led and international partners, including Afghan Geeks Education for the online training and Ideas Beyond Borders for the underground classroom.
We were preparing to launch both initiatives, with learners already enrolled and ready to begin, when, due to unexpected funding constraints, the organisation I was working with had to cancel the programme at the last minute.
I made a commitment to these women and girls. They are ready and eager to learn, and I do not want to be the one who tells them it will not happen. I have therefore decided to move forward independently and raise the funds needed to deliver both initiatives.
⸻
How the Funds Will Be Used
To ensure participation in the online programme, learners will receive internet data support, enabling them to attend sessions and complete their work despite financial and connectivity barriers.
The classroom initiative will provide safe, small-scale access to secondary education for girls who are currently excluded, through secret, community-based learning environments.
Your support will directly fund:
• Training delivery (instructors and programme costs)
• Internet data packages for online learners
• Operational costs
If we reach our initial funding target, we will deliver these programmes to the first cohorts already selected. Any additional funds raised will allow us to expand the number of participants, enrolling more women in the online training and opening additional classrooms for girls.
⸻
About Me
I am a humanitarian practitioner with over 10 years of experience working in conflict-affected contexts, including with the United Nations and through organisations I have founded. I hold a PhD in Social Anthropology focused on migration and humanitarian systems, and have worked closely with Afghan communities and diaspora over the past years.
⸻
Why It Matters
This is not just about education.
It is about preserving access to knowledge, restoring agency, and creating pathways to the future in a context where opportunities for Afghan women and girls are rapidly disappearing.
We are ready to start.
With your support, we can.