Project Summary:

Mehdia S, a senior student from Afghanistan, embarked on a mission to support women in her home country facing severe restrictions on education and social participation imposed by the Taliban since their takeover in August 2021. Recognizing the critical impact of these bans, which have left millions of girls without access to schooling or higher education, Mehdia launched the “English for Afghan Women” program to enhance English language and soft skills among Afghan girls.

Far from Afghanistan, Mehdia found a way to contribute meaningfully by founding the English language program under the Afghan Youth Empowerment Camps, an organization she co-founded in 2019. This program, initiated from September to December, focused on developing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to elevate students’ proficiency from beginner to intermediate levels.

The program attracted around 300 applicants, from which students were selected based on their academic needs. Mehdia and her team organized classes, assigned tasks, and provided weekly feedback and quizzes to monitor progress. The initiative also involved recruiting volunteers who received letters of recommendation for their contributions.

The project concluded with the distribution of certificates to participants, marking the successful completion of the program. Through this initiative, Mehdia aimed to empower Afghan women, believing strongly in the transformative power of educating women for the broader societal good. As she noted, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual; but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”