Silenced but not silent

By Mursal

I am an Afghan girl in the sixth grade. I love learning and going to school. I have many dreams for my future, and I hope I can continue my education. What does education mean to you?

Education is very important to me. I especially like the library at my school because I enjoy being around books and learning new things. My favorite subject is English because it is an international language. I want to become a doctor in the future, so I know that education is important for reaching my dream.

If I could not go to school after sixth grade, I would feel very sad. I would not know what would happen to my future.

I think education is important because it can help a person have a better life. When we are educated, we can make informed decisions and understand what is right and wrong. School has taught me many useful things, such as reading, writing songs, and doing different kinds of sports.

I wish people outside Afghanistan understood how difficult it is for Afghan girls to lose their education. This is a painful reality that Afghan girls have been experiencing. Sometimes I feel confused and do not know what will happen to our future. 

When a society does not have enough educated people, it can face many problems. People may not know how to solve even small problems, and this can cause difficulties for the whole community.

It has been five years since Afghan girls have been stopped from going to school after sixth grade, but I feel that many people outside Afghanistan do not fully understand our situation. I would ask them to imagine that you or your daughter were not allowed to go to school. Then maybe you would understand how difficult this is for us and want to help us. 

My message to people outside Afghanistan is: If you can, please help Afghan girls. Ask your governments to talk with the authorities in Afghanistan and encourage them to let Afghan girls become educated and work, just like girls around the world.  

Afghan girls have many talents. They can be successful in many areas, have good jobs, and take part in serving their country.  

My father gives me hope. He tells me, “You will definitely go to seventh grade next year.” I believe him because whenever my father says he will do something for me, he keeps his promise. His words give me hope that I will be able to go to school.

My friends are also sad about the situation, but my family always tells me not to lose hope. They say that there is no country where girls should remain uneducated forever, and Afghan girls will also have the chance to go back to school one day. I hope that my friends and all Afghan girls will be allowed to go to school and become educated.

If schools open again, it will be the best day of my life.

If I cannot go to school, I will study my schoolbooks at home.

At home, I like reading storybooks. I also read some English books that are at my level, and I read my schoolbooks. I do not read books for higher grades.  

I only use a computer for learning, and I use it at school. 

My sisters help me with my studies because they are educated. I do not think anything can replace school. School is school. Nothing can replace it because school lasts for a long time, for 12 years, and there are many subjects. You also go to school every day. 

Thank you!! 

By Mehria

When I was 12, I used to watch my mother leave for work every morning. I admired her and wanted to become a teacher like her. One day I went to her and said, “I want to become a teacher like you, but I don’t know how.” She looked at me and said, “The key to what you want to achieve is education.” At that age I did not understand her, because education was a normal part of my life. I could go to school, study, and take my exams. I did not know how precious that freedom was until everything changed. 

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, I was 15. I went to school the next day as I normally did. Everyone was frightened about what would happen, but I was happy to go to school. I sat at my usual place in the classroom. Then a teacher came in and said we had to leave, that we could not study anymore. I still remember the sinking feeling, like my future had been taken away from me. But I did not want to accept it, so I made myself hold on to hope. In the five years since, my hope has been tested. But I have refused to let it go. Only after I lost my only chance at education did I understand what my mother meant.  

To me, education is more than sitting in a classroom and passing exams. It is knowledge, confidence, independence, and choice. It is the ability to build a future for yourself and help others.

For me, that future was becoming a teacher like my mother. Without education, I cannot become that person. Not because I am not capable but because I no longer have that choice. 

I wish people outside Afghanistan understood that losing your education is not simply being told you cannot attend school. It is watching the future you were working hard to build become more distant every day. And it is not only school – there’s no university for us women anymore, no work for many of us. We cannot even sit in a park without being told we do not belong. It is like losing a large part of your lungs and breathing in a tortured, labored way thereafter – never drawing a full, free breath again, because you have no power to change the situation.

Today, girls in Afghanistan wake up every morning still wanting to go to school or university and become who they once dreamed of. They are not asking for something impossible. They want their basic right, which is education. I am one of these girls. My hope has grown quiet, but it has not died. I am still waiting for the day I walk into a classroom again, my head high and a smile on my face – not as a student who lost her chance, but as the teacher I‘ve always wanted to be. And I still believe that day will come. 

By Manizha

As an Afghan girl, education is beyond attending online courses, passing exams, or attaining educational documents. Personally, I believe that education is a resistance against the darkness of ignorance. Education gives me the right to express my ideas and thoughts, understand my rights, and raise my voice against injustice and oppression.

I wish people outside Afghanistan understood that life under the Taliban is not just about deprivation from education.

There are many aspects of Afghan girls’ life that are adversely affected. We don’t have the right to go to the gyms, parks, picnics, sightseeing spots like Band Amir, located in Bamyan province, Paghman, Band Qargha, and etc.

When the Taliban banned all the educational centers, I went to a Madrasa nearby to our house to learn Arabic language and other Islamic subjects as a Muslim girl. One day, I wrote some numbers in English on the board; then, one of the teachers looked angry and ordered me to erase the board and write numbers in Dari or Arabic instead of English. It made me think deeply and realized that different languages and tribes exist to know each other easily, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that a language is better than the other one. I felt their weakness, bigotry, and ignorance.
Besides, I wanted to teach illiterate women and young girls reading, writing, and Arabic rules I learned so far, but teachers told me, “Because you don’t wear our special outfit and you are not a true follower of us, so you are not allowed to stand in front of the board.” They instructed all students to not use the internet or study online, and don’t work, especially in the media, as journalists or simply as a guest speaker. I saw that it was not an educational place I am looking for, so I chose to stay at home.

Additionally, I went to Kabul University to get my transcript. They didn’t allow me to enter the campus and told me to bring my father or brother. There were some forms and bills to pay, so I stood outside, and there wasn’t any place to sit. Therefore, I waited outside from 7 AM till 2 PM for my father to process my documents. I felt awful because it was a place where I studied three years in the department of law and political science, but now the Taliban removed this faculty altogether. If I state every situation of my life under Taliban territory as an educated girl, it will not be summarized in a thousand words or more than that. Moreover, many teenagers are forced into early marriages. I see that most of them don’t even know how to raise their children, manage their life, or make them financially independent.
Fortunately, I’m studying in an online university, but when I think of life after graduation, it makes me upset. If I graduate, how am I supposed to go abroad to pursue my master’s degree because the unemployment rate is high and causes severe poverty in our country that makes getting a student visa almost impossible? 

By Lina 

Education, for me, means believing that my life can be more than what I can see today. 

I am 18 years old. When I was in grade seven, the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban came to power. From that moment, my education stopped. Before that, I never thought much about how precious school was. I complained about homework, worried about exams, and sometimes felt tired of waking up early. I believed school would always be there, waiting for me the next morning. I never imagined that one day I would miss something as simple as walking through a school gate. 

Now, when I think about education, I remember the little things I once took for granted – the sound of girls talking in the classroom, the pages of a new notebook, writing my name on an exam paper, and finally understanding something difficult. I miss having a reason to wake up and knowing that I was moving toward the future I had imagined for myself. 

For many people around the world, going to school is an ordinary part of childhood. For many Afghan girls, it has become a dream. 

I want people outside Afghanistan to understand something very simple: We are not asking for more than other girls have. We are only asking for the chance to learn.

I have dreams, just like girls everywhere. I want to make my family proud. I want knowledge, skills, and the ability to stand on my own feet. I want to help my family and, one day, help my country. Most of all, I want to believe that my future belongs to me. 

Sometimes it is difficult to hold on to that belief. I see other girls studying, graduating, choosing careers, and making plans for their futures. I am happy for them, but somewhere inside me I quietly ask, “When will it be my turn?” 

I do not want my dreams to become memories. So, I keep learning in whatever ways I can. I read when I have books. I study when I find learning materials. I listen, ask questions, write, and try to improve myself. These things may seem small, but to me they are a way of saying: I have not given up. 

Learning spaces and programs that support girls like me mean more than lessons. They remind us that we have not been forgotten. They give us a place to ask questions, imagine, create, and feel like students. They help us see ourselves not only as girls living under restrictions, but as girls with possibilities. 

I imagine the day when I can walk into a classroom again, sit beside other girls, open a book, listen to a teacher, and continue the education that was interrupted in grade seven. I imagine graduating and looking back at all the years I was told to wait. 

I hope that day comes for every Afghan girl. Behind every closed school door is a girl sitting at home with questions in her mind, a book in her hands, and dreams she is trying to protect. 

I am one of those girls. 

I am still learning. 

I am still dreaming. 

And I am still waiting for the day when I can choose my future. 

Education is not simply something I want. It is the future I am trying not to lose.

By Raha

My name is Raha, and I am a 10th grade student. For me, education is not only about going to school and reading books, but it is also a source of hope that motivates me to work for a better future.  

Like many other Afghan girls, I have dreams. I want to continue my education, learn new skills, and one day help my community. However, in recent years, the situation for Afghan girls has changed significantly. Educational restrictions have prevented many girls from continuing their studies and pursuing the future they dream of.  

Despite these challenges, I try my best to stay motivated. I strongly believe that learning can continue even in difficult circumstances. I am interested in reading, writing, learning English, and gaining knowledge because I believe education is something that no one can take away from us.  

Sometimes, when I think about my future, I feel sad. I feel sad for Afghan girls who have fewer opportunities to continue their education and whose talents may never fully develop. However, there is still hope. Many girls continue to learn, study, and work hard despite the challenges they face.  

I believe that education is very important because it helps people build a better future for themselves and their communities. Every girl deserves the chance to learn and achieve her goals.  

My hope is that one day all Afghan girls will have equal access to education and the opportunity to follow their dreams. Until then, we will continue to learn, grow, and keep hope alive.  

One thing that gives me strength is seeing other Afghan girls who have not given up on their dreams. Even when the path is difficult, they continue to learn and improve themselves. Their determination inspires me to keep moving forward and not lose hope.  

Learning English has become an important part of my life. It allows me to connect with the world, learn from different people, and access new opportunities. Every new word I learn reminds me that knowledge has no borders and that education can open many doors in the future. 

I also believe that educated girls can make a positive difference in society. They can become teachers, doctors, engineers, writers, and leaders who help their communities grow and develop. When girls receive an education, the benefits extend not only to them but also to their families and future generations.  

My message to the world is simple: Please do not forget Afghan girls. We have dreams, talents, and goals just like young people everywhere. We do not want sympathy; we want opportunities. We want the chance to learn, to grow, and to contribute to our communities.  

Although the future may seem uncertain at times, I still believe in hope. I believe that one day Afghan girls will be able to study freely and achieve their dreams. Until that day comes, I will continue learning, working hard, and believing in a brighter future.

By Hadia   

There was a girl whose greatest hope was education. She worked very hard so that she would not disappoint her family. She was always the top student in her school, and she is still the top student today, despite facing many difficulties.  

One day, that light suddenly went out; the doors of school were closed to her. When the girl heard the news, she became confused and did not know what to do. She could not believe that simply going to sleep one night and waking up the next morning could turn all her dreams into ashes. She had never even imagined that such a thing could happen.  

That day, when the schools were closed, she came home crying, threw herself into her mother’s arms, and cried. Her mother also began to cry because it was the first time she had seen her daughter in such a state, and her daughter’s dreams had been destroyed too. They cried together.  

After that, the girl struggled for days and fell into severe depression. She had no father beside her, no sister, and no brother. She only had her mother, who had become her father, mother, sister, and brother all at once. She was also the only hope for herself and her family. She had to achieve both her own goals and those of her family. Unfortunately, everything around her had become so dark that she felt as if she could not see anything anymore – as if she had been buried alive.  

After months, the girl came back to herself after reading a motivational text. She said to herself: If Edison, after being expelled from school and staying at home, could study and conduct his own experiments and make great inventions in the field of electricity, why can’t I continue my education?

Just like an ant that tries to carry its food upward, and when the food falls many times, it does not give up and tries again, why should I give up? Am I weaker than an ant?

From that moment, she started looking for a way to continue her education. Although her home was far from the in-person courses, which were sometimes open and sometimes closed, she still went. She would spend four hours on the road and walk for hours just to attend one hour of class. But eventually, that path was also closed to her.  

After that, she searched for online courses and began attending online classes. Activating the internet was very difficult for her because it was expensive. But she used a small amount of money that she had saved since childhood and continues to use it for her education. 

She told herself, “Right now, I am investing in myself, so keep trying as much as you can.”  

She completed courses in Quran recitation, English calligraphy, basic drawing, injections, first aid, English, public speaking, declamation, and more. Alongside these courses, she watched science lessons independently and continued her school education online.  

She faced many difficulties along the way, from losing her internet connection during an exam to the days when her mother was seriously ill and she continued studying while staying beside her and taking care of her. Despite all these difficulties, she has managed to continue until today, and that itself is something to be proud of.  

Well, I do not want to focus more on her difficulties.  

Who do you think this girl is?  

That girl is me.  

I hope you have learned something from a small part of my life story and never give up.  

By ABY 

In this contemporary world, where everything is developing, can you imagine a girl who wants to graduate from school, just to get her diploma to continue her education and build a better life for herself and her family? Although education is a basic right for everyone, in my country it has become a dream.  

On December 20, 2022, I was studying the Dari subject for my final exam so that I could move on to grade 11. Without knowing that it would be the last day I was allowed to study at school. 

That day became one the darkest days of my life, because from that day till now, I have been unable to return to school or make educational choices I had planned for my future.  

When I was in grade 10, I imagined graduating from school at the age of 18. Now I am 20 years old still stuck in grade 10.  I became hopeless about everything and thinking about how can a person be in a situation where they can’t do anything about it.  

There was a time when I thought that by the age 20, I would be studying computer science in Turkey, without ever knowing what was waiting for me ahead. With all these rules and restrictions imposed specifically on girls, there is hardly any hope left for us to even dare to dream. Expect to be grateful that, at the very least, we are still alive. Despite all this hopelessness, I have big dreams and expectations [for] myself, and I hope one day I can get all the things I dream of.  

Sometimes, I truly feel sorry for myself when I think about all the things I once dreamed of achieving but still haven’t been able to do. Even if things were to change, I don’t know whether, as a 20 year old, I should continue my education, get married (because people consider me too old), or simply wish that all of this were nothing more than a bad dream.  

It’s hard even to imagine sitting down and thinking about everything that has happened and wishing that I had never been born in Afghanistan or that I had been a boy, so that life wouldn’t have been this difficult for me.  

I hope no girl anywhere in the world ever has to experience what Afghan girls are going through. I wish the world were not this cruel and would not ignore Afghan women and girls. And I hope that one day, every girl will be able to achieve her dreams and wishes, without having to live with any regrets.  

In the hope that humanity and compassion will prevail.