SOLA: Empowering Afghan Girls
From TEDWomen 2012 to Today: The Inspiring Story of SOLA, an All-Girls Boarding School in Afghanistan
Nine years ago, I stood on a stage much like this one, sharing the story of an incredible school that was changing the lives of young girls in Afghanistan. The school was called SOLA, short for the School of Leadership Afghanistan, and it was a beacon of hope in a country where women and girls faced immense challenges and barriers to education.
At the time, I was just 22 years old, and I had already seen firsthand how important education was for young girls in Afghanistan. As a woman with a college degree, I knew I was lucky to have had the opportunities that I did, but I also knew that there were so many other girls just like me who were being left behind.
That’s why I founded SOLA - to create a space where girls could come to learn, grow, and become leaders in their communities. We started small, with a program where girls lived at SOLA but studied at high schools in Kabul. But as we grew, I knew that we needed to do more.
I wanted to educate Afghan girls who would become educated Afghan women, who could then go on to educate other girls and build a new Afghanistan from the bottom up. And so, in 2016, SOLA became a full-fledged boarding school for girls - the first and only one in Afghanistan.
We faced many challenges along the way, including the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan. But we didn’t give up. We adapted and we persisted, always keeping the education and well-being of our students at the forefront of everything we did.
In August of 2021, as the Taliban once again took control of Afghanistan, we made the difficult decision to evacuate our community to Rwanda, where we could continue our work and keep our students safe. It was a heartbreaking decision, but it was also a necessary one.
Through it all, we have remained committed to our mission of educating and enabling young girls in Afghanistan. We have built a community of sisterhood and support, where girls from all over the country can come together to learn and grow.
And as we look to the future, we know that there is still so much work to be done. We need to continue advocating for girls’ education, even as the world’s attention shifts away from Afghanistan. We need to continue supporting our students and building the infrastructure we need to provide them with the best possible education.
But we are also filled with hope - hope for a brighter future for Afghanistan, and hope for the young girls who will lead the way.
SOLA’s mission: Educating Afghan girls to become educated Afghan women and future leaders
SOLA was founded with a clear and ambitious mission: to educate Afghan girls, who would in turn become educated Afghan women and future leaders. The idea was to create a space where girls could learn to read and write in English and the Quran, and where administration and instructors were women, creating a culture of female leadership. This was especially important in a country like Afghanistan, where women had been oppressed and deprived of their rights for decades.
SOLA started as a program where girls lived at the school but primarily studied at high schools in Kabul. However, the school soon secured scholarships for the girls to pursue their education overseas, including in the United States. While this was successful, the founder realized that this approach contributed to brain drain and wanted to create a more sustainable model.
Thus, SOLA became a full-fledged boarding school for girls in 2016, the first and only one in Afghanistan. In just a few short years, the school has made a tremendous impact. In 2016, they enrolled 24 girls in sixth grade, and by 2021, they had enrolled nearly 100 girls in grades six to eleven.
The school draws girls from all across Afghanistan, from different provinces and ethnicities, and unites them under the common identity of being Afghan girls. Educating girls and breaking barriers is at the heart of what SOLA does, and the school has become known for this nationwide. Parents come from all over Afghanistan to ask SOLA to admit their daughters, a clear indication of the success and reputation that the school has gained.
SOLA’s ultimate goal is to build a new Afghanistan from the bottom up, with educated women at the forefront of leadership. And with the school’s track record and commitment to its mission, there is no doubt that they are well on their way to achieving this goal.
Adapting to uncertainty: How SOLA turned the uncertainty of the Taliban’s return into the certainty of its departure from Afghanistan
In 2019, a father came to visit SOLA’s campus in Kabul and asked the school’s founder to burn his daughter’s records if the Taliban ever found out she was studying there. The founder promised to do so. This year, she kept that promise. She and her team set fire to the school’s records to protect the girls who had studied there from harm.
As the Taliban began to take over Afghanistan, SOLA was quietly planning its departure. The founder knew that uncertainty lay ahead, but she refused to let that stop her. Instead, she turned to contingency planning and worked to bring her students overseas for a study abroad program. It took time, but they succeeded.
When the Taliban arrived in Kabul, SOLA’s entire community, including students, staff, and family members, had already left Afghanistan for the safety of Rwanda. The founder knew that uncertainty was always a possibility, but she refused to let it dictate her actions. Instead, she adapted to the circumstances and turned the uncertainty of the Taliban’s return into the certainty of SOLA’s departure from Afghanistan.
The school’s departure made headlines, but what the stories don’t tell you is that SOLA had been planning for it for most of the year. The founder and her team knew that the situation in Afghanistan was unstable, and they took steps to protect their community. They adapted to the uncertainty and turned it into an opportunity to thrive in a new location.
The founder’s message is clear: when you face uncertainty, you can turn it into certainty through careful planning and adaptation. And in doing so, you can find yourself somewhere new and different, but also stronger and more resilient than ever before.
Building a community of sisterhood: The unique experience of living and studying at SOLA
Living and studying at SOLA is a unique experience for Afghan girls. Imagine coming from a rural province, having never lived away from your family, and arriving at SOLA’s campus in Kabul. You may feel nervous and unsure, but you are met with an older sister who will be by your side every step of the way. She will pray with you in the campus mosque, eat with you, and help you with your schoolwork.
Despite being from different provinces and ethnicities, you are united by your identity as Afghan girls. The sense of sisterhood is strong and fosters a community that supports and enables one another.
SOLA’s mission to educate girls and break barriers is reflected in every aspect of its community. The administration and instructors are all women, providing a space where the notion of female leadership, particularly Afghan female leadership, is showed for every student.
It is this sense of community and sisterhood that draws parents from all over Afghanistan to ask for their daughters to be admitted to SOLA. They understand the value of educating their daughters and the opportunities it will bring for their future.
Despite the recent turmoil in Afghanistan, SOLA’s community has continued to thrive. The students and staff have found a new home in Rwanda, but the sense of sisterhood remains as strong as ever. The girls’ dreams of attending SOLA are still alive, and the hope is that they will continue to rise above the uncertainty and become future leaders of Afghanistan.
Educating Girls and Breaking Barriers: The Nationwide Impact of SOLA’s Success
SOLA’s impact extends beyond the individual students and into the larger Afghan community. As the school has continued to succeed and produce educated and enabled young women, it has broken down barriers for girls’ education across the country.
SOLA students have served as role models for other girls in their communities and have inspired families to prioritize their daughters’ education. The school’s success has also garnered attention from government officials, who have implemented policies aimed at increasing access to education for girls.
In addition to inspiring change at the policy level, SOLA graduates have gone on to pursue higher education and careers in fields such as medicine, law, and politics. By breaking down societal barriers and proving the value of girls’ education, SOLA is creating a new generation of female leaders who will help shape the future of Afghanistan.
Facing opposition and building allies: The challenges of building a permanent campus for SOLA in Kabul
Building a permanent campus for SOLA in Kabul was not an easy feat. Facing opposition and navigating the complicated political landscape of Afghanistan proved to be major obstacles in the school’s development. However, through perseverance and determination, the school was able to overcome these challenges and build a thriving campus.
One of the main challenges was finding a suitable location for the campus. Many potential sites were rejected due to security concerns, and the school faced opposition from some local leaders who did not support the education of girls. However, the school’s founder and her team persisted in their search and eventually secured a plot of land in the center of Kabul.
Once the location was secured, the school had to navigate the complex political landscape to obtain the necessary permits and approvals for the construction of the campus. This involved building relationships with government officials and community leaders to gain their support and advocacy. The school also had to ensure that the campus was designed and constructed to meet the specific needs of girls’ education in Afghanistan.
Despite these challenges, SOLA was able to build a beautiful and modern campus in the heart of Kabul. The school’s success in overcoming opposition and building allies has had a positive impact not only on the education of girls in Afghanistan but also on the country’s overall development. SOLA has become a beacon of hope and progress in a country that has faced many challenges in recent years.
The Unwavering Mission of SOLA’s Founder: Pursuing Hope and Dreams in the Face of Uncertainty
The founder of SOLA has always believed that education is the key to enabling Afghan women and transforming their lives. Despite facing numerous challenges, she continues to pursue her mission of providing education to young girls in Afghanistan. She understands the power of hope and dreams and the impact that they can have on the lives of those who are given the opportunity to learn and grow.
The founder’s unwavering dedication to the cause of women’s education in Afghanistan is remarkable. She has faced opposition, danger, and uncertainty, but she continues to persevere. Her determination to build a better future for Afghan girls is what drives her to keep going despite the risks.
The founder believes that education can be a powerful tool for social change. She believes that if young girls are given the opportunity to learn, they can become the leaders of tomorrow and make a positive impact on their communities. Her commitment to this vision is evident in the work that SOLA has done and continues to do.
The founder’s hope for the future of Afghanistan is inspiring. She knows that change takes time, but she remains steadfast in her belief that education is the key to creating a better future for her country. Her vision for a world where every girl has the opportunity to receive an education is one that we can all aspire to.
Challenging the world to continue supporting girls’ education in Afghanistan: SOLA’s birthday wish for a 2030 campus in Kabul
The founder of SOLA has issued a challenge to the world not to look away from the urgent need to support girls’ education in Afghanistan. Despite the challenges and risks, SOLA’s mission to educate Afghan girls to become educated Afghan women and future leaders remains as strong as ever.
The founder has also expressed her birthday wish for a new SOLA campus in Kabul by 2030. This permanent campus would provide a safe and stable environment for girls to learn and grow, breaking down barriers and enabling them to become leaders in their communities and beyond.
The need for continued support and investment in girls’ education in Afghanistan is more pressing than ever. With SOLA’s success in educating and enabling girls, there is hope for a brighter future for Afghanistan and its people. Let us not look away from this vital mission and instead continue to support and invest in the education of girls in Afghanistan.
Conclusion
The story of SOLA, an all-girls boarding school in Afghanistan, is one of perseverance, toughness, and hope. Despite facing countless obstacles and opposition, the founder and staff of SOLA have remained committed to their mission of educating Afghan girls and enabling them to become future leaders.
Through their experiences of building a community of sisterhood, adapting to uncertainty, facing opposition and building allies, and educating girls and breaking barriers, SOLA has not only impacted the lives of its students but also the wider community in Afghanistan.
As we reflect on the challenges that SOLA has faced and the progress that it has made, we are reminded of the power of education to transform lives and create positive change. We are also called upon to continue supporting girls’ education in Afghanistan and around the world, and to not look away from the ongoing struggles that many face in pursuing their dreams and aspirations.
SOLA’s founder’s birthday wish for the school’s 2030 campus in Kabul is a powerful reminder that there is still much work to be done, but that hope and determination can overcome even the most daunting of challenges. Let us continue to stand in solidarity with the girls of SOLA and all those who strive for a brighter future.
