Robina grew up in the beautiful city of Mazar-e-Sharif, where she discovered herself, cultivated hobbies, and fell in love with writing. She would spend days after school writing to clear her mind, articulate her thoughts, and enjoy her talent. Forced to leave Afghanistan, she now resides in Germany, where she continues advocating for her peers' right to education back home and runs a non-profit organization providing free online education to them.
Only a few weeks before the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, rumors spread that the Taliban were closing in on Mazar-e-Sharif, Robina's hometown. At 16, she felt scared for her safety and that of her family.
“I remember my last day of school in Mazar-e-Sharif. I didn't have a good feeling that day; I wanted to spend more time with my friends, stay at school longer, and see all the roads on my way home. I felt like I was about to leave the city the next day,” says Robina, her voice trembling with emotion.
Upon arriving home, she found her necessary belongings, including her clothes, packed. “I have booked a flight ticket for you,” her mother told her, asking her and her sister to leave Mazar-e-Sharif. It was a shocking event she had not expected. “I have an exam tomorrow, Mom,” Robina protested.
“You either have to leave, or you will be married to a Taliban soldier if they arrive in the city,” her mother replied. The Taliban had forced many girls into marriage, and with her family's background in civic activities and journalism, Robina's and her sister’s safety was at risk.
After discussing the threats posed by the Taliban's potential control of Mazar-e-Sharif, Robina and her sister reluctantly agreed to leave for Kabul. They assumed it could be the best option amid many uncertainties.
“When I was packing my belongings the night before my flight, I wondered what to do with my mini-trunk where I kept all my writings, which I hoped would one day become a book,” explains Robina, who had been passionate about writing since the 5th grade. “It was difficult to leave it behind. I could only take a notebook of my writings with me to Kabul.”
Unforeseen Fall: Adjusting to Life in Kabul
“I wasn’t doing well at all,” says Robina, worried about her education and leaving school. “For the week that schools were open, and schoolgirls were attending their exams, I watched them from the kitchen window of the place where we were staying in Kabul,” she explains, describing how painful and heartbreaking it was for her.
Robina had just settled in the city, becoming familiar with its workings, when Kabul fell in August 2021. “As I watched the President flee the country on the news, it felt like our hope was instantly destroyed. The news took us back to 20 years ago when our mothers were not allowed to get an education. I couldn’t believe it at all,” narrates Robina.
“For a while in Kabul, I didn’t want to study at all. I felt completely hopeless and life was dark,” recalls Robina. “I started picking up my notebook and writing,” she says, trying to comfort herself, believing that things would get better and that she could go back to school in Mazar and reunite with her friends.
When the chaos subsided slightly, Robina enrolled in a tutoring center and began taking classes. She found the people and her classmates in Kabul to be friendly. Although it wasn't easy, with time, Robina accepted what had happened. Despite the adverse situation, she knew she could not stay silent.
“I was trying not to let the barriers affect me,” Robina resumed writing about her thoughts and feelings during those challenging times. Amid shattered dreams and fading hopes, she wanted to share hope for the future with her community in Kabul.
She reached out to media outlets, despite Taliban restrictions on women appearing on TV, to talk about potential opportunities and give hope to other girls that even if they were banned from school, they could find alternatives to shine. Robina was interviewed by well-known media outlets in the country, discussing her passion for writing.
While in Kabul, Robina learned about an online school where she enrolled as an 11th-grade student. She took steps to raise awareness about this opportunity for other girls who were out of school under the Taliban. “I was going to a tutoring center and spreading information about this opportunity for other girls,” she connected with the online school organizers to encourage girls to enroll. “I worked voluntarily with the school, connecting with girls across the country, even in remote areas,” says Robina, who helped girls with basic digital literacy.
Exile in Pakistan: Continuing the Fight
With the Taliban imposing more restrictions on women, Robina had to leave Kabul and move to Pakistan with her family. While leaving her country was another painful experience, she was more determined than ever to make a difference.
“Upon my first day in Pakistan, I went out looking for tutoring centers teaching Afghan refugees,” Robina explains. “I found a center and started teaching English to Afghan refugees.”
In Pakistan, Robina joined political discussions on social media platforms such as Twitter Spaces, where politicians, activists, and even Taliban members participated. She continued to be interviewed by media outlets about the situation of Afghan girls being out of school. “I wanted my voice to be heard.”
Robina decided to take action. After discussing the idea with her family, she created Girls on the Path of Change (GPC), a network and platform to help Afghan girls support each other. “I created the social media pages and GPC’s logo,” explains Robina. “I began with an online session where schoolgirls could share their stories, hopes, achievements, and challenges.”
She shared an announcement in WhatsApp groups she was part of. “Twenty girls from Ghazni, Kabul, Ghour, Balkh, and Baghlan joined the session,” Robina says, explaining how it encouraged her. “We want to stay connected and work together,” the girls told Robina, illustrating how the network grew as they brought more girls into the GPC network.
Now, Robina holds online classes with volunteers from around the world, all working together with the belief that small actions can lead to great results.
After 15 months in Pakistan, Robina and her family finally moved to Germany. “I know the journey ahead is filled with challenges, but there are also opportunities which I am grateful for.”
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