Please see the below message from Malika, a former student of mine at the Asian University for Women and a recipient of a prestigious fellowship that supports young leaders to initiate change in their communities. As her project, Malika has courageously returned to her home in Afghanistan to launch a school for women and girls. She urgently needs our support to ensure the students most in need can attend classes, and do so safely.

“Since the Taliban took control, the situation for girls has become dire. They are stripped of their basic rights, barred from education, and forced into a life where they need a male companion. The vibrant, hopeful girls I once taught are now facing a bleak future—many have regressed in their learning, married as children, and are now struggling with the burden of early motherhood. Their spirits are crushed, and their dreams are shattered. Many of these girls are jobless, trapped in abusive situations, and unable to afford even necessities like sanitary pads, let alone books and notebooks.

Despite the risks, I returned to Afghanistan to fight for these girls. I’ve started teaching, created a safe space for them to learn by initiating home-schooling, and online teaching, and initiated a handicrafts program to help them gain financial independence in their homes. Since joining these programs, many have become hopeful and interested in studying. Nargis, one of the students, says “We are at the level where no one can stop us from learning and progressing”.

However, we are facing challenges related to internet access and providing learning materials for students and teachers. Right now, my goal is to raise $3,000 which would support classes for 60 girls, as well as the costs of books, stationery, and internet access. With your support, I want to offer more girls access to home-schooling, facilitated by teachers from their village to mitigate the security risks. Even a small contribution can make a world of difference to the education of 60 Afghan girls.”

If you wish to learn more about Malika’s initiative and how you can help, please contact me and I will put you in touch with her. As soon as she reaches her fundraising goal, the funds will be sent to Malika via MoneyGram. Thank you!