Education is a fundamental right that should be accessible to everyone. But have you ever imagined a world where this right is taken away from you? Unfortunately, since August 15, 2021 this is the reality for thousands of girls and women in Afghanistan. In the wake of the catastrophic collapse of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the oppressive Taliban regime swiftly encroached upon the fundamental rights of women in Afghanistan, leaving them in a state of despair and hopelessness.

Given this grim reality, Taniya, an Afghan Middlebury College graduate who fled the oppressive rule of the Taliban, vowed to become an agent of change for these resilient girls and young women trapped in dire circumstances. Listening to the heartbreaking stories of these girls, and realizing their undiminished passion for learning, The Afghan Tutoring Network was founded by Taniya in 2022 with 12 students and 10 tutors to create a ripple of hope and connection. We now have grown to 65 volunteer tutors and 45 Afghan students ages 13-23 offering 2-4 weekly online learning sessions. However, a significant barrier arises as the majority of these girls come from disadvantaged backgrounds where obtaining internet access and owning a smart phone are but distant aspirations.

The Afghan Tutoring Network has two primary goals: to provide internet-based technology and access to education for impoverished girls, and to offer structured online tutoring. Our vision is to continue personalized support for the existing students and reach even more girls in Afghanistan extending the transformative benefits of education and human connection.

In the words of a one of our wonderful Afghan girls who is being tutored:

I'm Zohra, age 15, one of the students in the Afghan Tutoring Network. I started my tutoring journey about 3 years ago. I took my first steps in the imaginary world of poetry and wrote my first poem with my poetry teacher, Mr. James and continued my journey in poetry and literature with Mrs. Rebecca. I am helping an Afghan girl through my translating class with Mrs. Sally and Mrs. Janet. And finally, my mathematics class with Mr. Edward and my Biology class with Ms. Akshita have made me a full member of this helpful family. I can bravely say that being part of this family added color to my life in my hard days in Afghanistan. It is my honor to know this wonderful tutoring network family. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to see the world in a different way.

In the light of these inhumane circumstances, we call upon you to stand in solidarity with us and protect the rights of girls and women in Afghanistan. Together, let us kindle a ray of hope for the girls and women of Afghanistan. Here is how you can support us:

Funds for cell phones and internet service are desperately needed to maintain the existing network and to provide even more young women with a tutoring relationship. Without help from people like you, this effort cannot continue. We now support the monthly internet costs for 24 young women at a cost of $345.00 per year for each student. As well, we have funded phone repair costs and purchased 24 phones at a cost of $210.00 per phone. As you can see, the generous funds raised thus far are dwindling and additional funds are needed to support the Afghan Tutoring Network. All donations go directly to our students with no administrative costs. If sufficient funds are raised, we hope to send our students funds to purchase power banks since frequent electricity blackouts are a challenge for them. As well, we hope to publish an anthology of poems written by our students. See below for one of the poems in the collection:

The Song, The Wing

the dancer must dance to be happy

even when she is forbidden

even when there is no song

it is not because her job is to dance

but because she is in love with dancing

some call her crazy

they do not see her love,

they do not see her dreams

I understand the dancer

I am a student

I must follow my dreams

I want to be free

my love is knowledge

a person without knowledge

is like a dancer without a song

knowledge will be my wings

to fly

~ Zohra Baqeri, age 13, 2024

FUND RAISING GOAL US $25,000

Please help us achieve our funding goal by donating whatever you can. Your generosity will allow more young women the opportunity to learn as well as to support the existing students who are in increasingly dire financial straits.

From the bottom of our hearts, Taniya, Ann and The Afghan Tutoring Network thank you.

Please show your support for this GoFundMe.