Embedded Files
In the wake of restrictions on women's education in Afghanistan, a group of five former colleagues from the Afghan National Association for Adult Education (ANAFAE) came together to create an online learning platform. Ameer Khan Ameer, Mohammad Assem Aqil, Yalda Bari, Sayed Mohibullah Mohib, and I launched this initiative purely out of dedication to ensuring Afghan women had access to education, despite the risks and challenges.
With our extensive background in adult education and skills training, we started offering English and other essential courses to women who had been banned from attending school or university. Many of our students were teaching other women in secret, creating a ripple effect of empowerment. At our peak, we had up to 200 women attending our classes daily, studying early in the morning, late at night, or even on weekends—whenever it was safest and most convenient for them.
Unlike formal NGOs or organizations, our platform was never officially registered—it was simply a passion project fueled by our shared belief in the right to education. We ran everything on a voluntary basis, using free tools and resources, ensuring that financial limitations did not prevent women from learning.
This was not about business or profit; it was about giving Afghan women a lifeline to knowledge, growth, and opportunity.
Despite its success, our project now faces serious challenges. As most of us have taken on full-time jobs, finding time to teach has become increasingly difficult. Since we financed this initiative entirely from our own earnings, we lack the resources to hire additional teachers or expand the program further.
Though the project is now rarely active, our mission remains the same. We continue to explore ways to support Afghan women in their pursuit of education. To all those who still believe in this cause—education is power, and we must not let it be taken away.
📅 Date: June 20, 2022
✍ Author: Mohammad Akbar Mahmoody
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse