A pillow, a picture, and a dream deferred

In 2023, Fazilat Hameedi, a bright and ambitious young woman from Afghanistan, fled to Pakistan in search of the one thing she has always longed for-education. Today, she lives in fear of being deported back to a country where girls are banned from attending school. 

Before the fall of Afghanistan in August 2021, Hameedi lived in Kabul and was already making an impact in her community. Alongside her own high school studies, she volunteered at the Omid Organization which was founded by her brother to empower women through education. There, she taught literacy to illiterate women and offered English and chemistry classes to young girls. 

Her dream was to become a dentist. After years of preparation, she passed Afghanistan’s national Kankoor exam with an impressive score of 322 and earned admission to Kabul medical school’s dentistry program one of the most competitive in the country. But when the Taliban took control, her dream was shattered. Girls and women were banned from higher education. 

“I still cannot believe that I could not go to dentistry school,” Hameedi said. “I had a picture of Kabul Medical School under my pillow to keep me motivated. I studied so hard for this.” 

Refusing to accept a future without education, she searched for opportunities to study abroad. She was accepted to schools in China and Bangladesh but was unable to afford the tuition. Finally, in 2023, she made the difficult decision to leave her family and move alone to Rawalpindi, Pakistan. There, she began teaching English to fellow Afghan refugees at a local language center. 

“I was happy to be teaching English. In one of my classes, I had 45 students. It was very motivating,” Hameedi said. 

Hameedi also reached out to several universities in the United States and received multiple admissions offers. However, none came with scholarships, and the cost of tuition remains far beyond her means. 

“I cannot afford to pay for university, and it’s heartbreaking to see that there is nobody willing to help,” Hameedi said. 

Her situation has grown even more precarious in recent months. The Pakistani government has ramped up deportations of Afghan refugees including those with legal documents. Afraid for her safety, Hameedi fled from Rawalpindi to Karachi in hopes of avoiding deportation. 

“I saw police deporting people with my own eyes. I couldn’t imagine being sent back to Afghanistan in this situation,” Hameedi said. “So, I fled to Karachi.” 

Now living alone in fear, with no steady income and no clear path forward, Hameedi is urgently seeking a scholarship and a safe country where she can pursue her education and live without the constant threat of deportation. 

“Living alone in Pakistan is not easy. I used to have an income from teaching English in Rawalpindi, but now I don’t know what’s going to happen to me,” Hameedi said. 

Despite everything, Hameedi remains hopeful and determined. She is calling on the world to stand with Afghan women during one of the darkest times in their history. 

“Please do not forget us. Support us. We will shine brightly if a chance is given to us,” Hameedi said.