In Afghanistan today, millions of girls are banned from school. But while doors to classrooms have been shut, windows of opportunity are opening online.
At Aid Afghanistan For Education (AAFE), we provide online English and computer classes for Afghan girls who are forbidden from attending school. With nothing more than a phone, a laptop, or borrowed internet, these girls are finding their way back into education.
The determination of our students is inspiring:
“I want to become a doctor so I can heal my community.”
“One day, I will be a pilot, and I will fly above all the barriers they have put in my way.”
“I want to be a teacher and open a school, so no girl will ever feel the pain I felt when I was told I could not go to class.”
Every login is an act of courage.
Manija, one of our students, reads poems aloud to her classmates, reminding them that their voices matter. Nahid, who had never touched a computer before, now writes documents and sends emails. She told us, “If I can learn this way, I can teach other girls too.”
The challenges are immense: unreliable electricity, restrictions on movement, and social pressure. Yet the girls persist. They show up, eager to learn, their faces lit not just by a screen, but by hope.
Education is not just about knowledge. It is about dignity, confidence, and the power to imagine a different future. When girls learn, entire families and communities are lifted.
Online classes may be a lifeline today, but they are also planting the seeds of long-term change and peace.
Our social media manager is herself one of our students in Afghanistan. Today she supports her family after her father and brother lost their jobs due to USAID’s shutdown. Her story is proof of how education creates strength, even in crisis.
And these stories are not new. I remember Mastoora, one of our previous graduates who became a math teacher at an AAFE school in Kabul. Her 11-year-old daughter once said to me, “I am the first student in my class because my mother is educated, and she is helping me with my school work.”
Recently, I had a Zoom call with a group of 17- and 18-year-old girls who have taught themselves, through YouTube, fluent English, French, and computer programming.
Afghan girls continue to show us that no ban can erase their dreams.
With support, they can keep learning, keep resisting, and keep shaping the future. Because when girls learn, the world changes.
One Response
Hello, my name is Aditya, and I am 17 years old, currently studying in 11th standard. I used to teach in Afghan girls offline , where we created a small group of around 80 Afghan female students. We taught them basic Math and English for free, believing in the power of education for every girl. Unfortunately, after the internet was banned in some regions, we have been unable to continue our work.
Although I am busy with my own school assignments, I do not want these intelligent and motivated girls to stop learning because of small hurdles. That is why we are looking forward to collaborations where others can continue this journey and help teach these young minds. We trust you to carry forward this mission and ensure that the work we started with Talibat Classes continues, so that hope and education remain alive, no matter the obstacles.