Silenced but not silent

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.