Shabana Basij-Rasikh: The dream of educating Afghan girls lives on | TED

TL;DR

This content tells the story of an Afghan woman who founded a boarding school for girls in Afghanistan, faced the threat of the Taliban, and relocated the school to Rwanda.

Transcript

Nine years ago, I stood on a stage a lot like this one. It was at the TEDWomen conference in Washington, DC, back in 2012. I was 22 years old, a woman with a college degree. That's nothing too exceptional to say here in the United States. In Afghanistan, my homeland, women like me were the exception. It had been a little over a decade since the fal... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔥 The Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan has threatened progress made in educating Afghan girls, but SOLA remains resilient and determined to continue their mission.
• 🚀 SOLA has adapted and evolved over the years, transitioning from a program that primarily sent girls to study abroad to a full-fledged boarding school in Afghanistan, the first and only in the country.
• 🏫 SOLA has successfully enrolled girls from an increasing number of provinces in Afghanistan, fostering a sense of sisterhood and unity among Afghan girls from diverse backgrounds.
• 🔒 The safety and protection of SOLA's students is of utmost importance, demonstrated by the burning of students' records to ensure their safety in the face of Taliban control.
• 🌍 SOLA's departure from Afghanistan was not a sudden response to the Taliban's takeover but rather a carefully planned and executed process that had been in motion for months.
• 🕊️ Despite the uncertainty and challenges, SOLA remains committed to its mission of educating Afghan girls and building a new Afghanistan from the bottom up.
• 🔒 SOLA encountered opposition, from neighbors to government officials, in its pursuit of establishing a permanent campus. However, the community's efforts and advocacy have yielded positive results.
• 💪 Afghanistan is a country of hope and dreams, and the girls of SOLA embody resilience, determination, and the power to overcome adversity. The world is called upon not to look away but to support and uplift the dreams of Afghan girls and women.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) and when was it established?

The School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) is a boarding school for girls and was established in 2016. It is the first and only girls' boarding school in Afghanistan.

Q: How many girls were initially enrolled in SOLA in 2016 and how many are enrolled now?

In 2016, SOLA initially enrolled 24 girls in the sixth grade. As of 2021, they have enrolled nearly 100 girls in grades six to eleven.

Q: How did SOLA adapt its education program to prevent a brain drain of educated Afghan women?

Initially, SOLA ran a program where girls lived at SOLA but primarily studied at high schools in Kabul. However, they realized this contributed to a brain drain. In response, SOLA became a full-fledged boarding school, providing education and housing for Afghan girls.

Q: When did the Taliban take over Kabul, and where did the SOLA community relocate to?

The Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, 2021. The SOLA community relocated to Rwanda, where nearly 250 members, including students, staff, and family members, found safety.

Q: What does the speaker want people to do regarding the situation in Afghanistan?

The speaker urges people not to look away from the situation in Afghanistan. She asks for continued attention and support, emphasizing that Afghanistan's girls and women need the world's solidarity and assistance.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In 2012, the speaker challenged the world to educate Afghan girls and started the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA).

• Despite the return of the Taliban, SOLA has not stopped dreaming and has adapted their education model to create the first and only boarding school for girls in Afghanistan.

• The speaker shares the story of the rapid evacuation of SOLA's community from Afghanistan and emphasizes the importance of not looking away from the situation in Afghanistan and supporting the education of Afghan girls.