Grow Peace in Afghanistan: Educate Women & Girls

I'm so excited to introduce three of Aid Afghanistan for Education's star students to you. They are all Kochi nomads who now live in Kabul. Traditionally, Kochi people in Afghanistan have been very marginalized and have not had access to crucial services like education. Especially with recurring droughts in rural areas of Afghanistan, many Kochi people have experienced difficult lives, and some are choosing to live in cities like Kabul.

Malalay and Farida, sisters, joined AAE's school when they were 15 and 16 years old. When they graduated recently, Malalay was ranked second in her class and Farida was ranked sixth. While they wanted to pursue political careers in parliament, their families are conservative so they are not planning to go to university at this time. When asked about the importance of their education, they said, "We are very happy and proud because no one is literate or has a high school degree in our family. So when the electricity bill comes, they bring it to us to read it."

Spozhmai, another recent graduate from a Kochi family, said, "I am the only one in our tribe with a high school diploma, and the only one who is pursuing a career. I am studying to be a midwife."

Malalay, Farida, and Spozhmai are all the first women in their families, and some of the first from their tribes, to earn a high school diploma. It's because of support from you that AAE is able to serve such marginalized communities in Afghanistan, and we're very grateful for our support. While I wish we could share photos of these three celebrating their achievements, they have asked us to respect their privacy and safety by not posting photos. 

Thank you, as always, for your steadfast support of accelerated education for marginalized Afghan women.