On December 10th, students and staff had the opportunity to attend a program that hosted guest speakers Nayyera Haq, a broadcast journalist, and Khadija Nazari, a 27-year-old Afghani woman who escaped the Taliban in 2021. The event was held during sixth and seventh periods in the cafeteria, showcasing a discussion on Nazari’s experience and humanitarian rights issues in Afghanistan.
“Coming of Age When Your World is Coming Apart” was organized by B-CC staff, including IB Anthropology Teacher Mr. Lopilato and Nina Hagan, to provide insight into the devastating realities teenagers face worldwide. The program’s main message was to showcase youth resilience against life-altering situations while simultaneously developing familiarity and knowledge about the world around them. In this case, a young Afghani woman directly experienced the implementation of the Taliban’s rule—the beginning of what seemed like the end for Khadija Nazari.
Through connections outside of Afghanistan and negotiations with the Taliban, Nazari states that she, along with about 147 others, was able to escape Kabul in 2021 and find refuge in America. However, her journey to the U.S. was difficult. Nazari reported having flown four times to three different countries over at least three months. She finally settled at Brown University in Rhode Island through a scholarship.
Some living comfortably and securely cannot fathom the extent of Nazari’s courage and endurance; she had to leave her family behind, and when asked to specify who, Nazari responded, “I don’t want to answer that question.” Journalist Nayyera further inquired as to why she didn’t wish to provide further details, “Why don’t you want to? Is it not safe?” To which Nazari responded, “Maybe, yeah.”
However, Khadija Nazari hasn’t forgotten about her friends, family, and folk in Afghanistan. She stated, “I just wanted to do something, when I got to Brown I was surrounded with tons of opportunities. You can do anything you want.” With the newfound privilege of attending a prestigious and safe university, Nazari was engulfed in endless resources and methods that could help the girls in Afghanistan. She started fundraising for five girls’ tuition fees— a sum of merely $1,800 per year. As she kept providing the girls with funds, Nazari conjured the idea to create SAGE (Support for Afghani Girl’s Education). The non-profit organization provides financial and program support to 100+ girls and young women in Afghanistan, “empowering…girls to reach their full potential through access to high-quality education”.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, girls over the age of 12 have been forbidden to attend school. Nazari’s hidden underground school is a beacon of hope to retaliate against this ongoing war against women. Through spreading her story across the world with popular media such as The Times, Nazari persists in gathering funds, tutors, and general public awareness as a voice for those who are forbidden to speak. She shares that students and staff at B-CC can help through teaching the girls English, and other subjects, online.
Visit her organization’s website, SAGE, to donate, learn more about how to help, and news on Afghanistan.
