Sahar’s Founder

Julia Bolz

Founder

Founder of Sahar Education (formerly Ayni Education International), Julia, an international humanitarian lawyer and advocate, started serving in Afghanistan in January 2002, just months after 9/11. There, she fell in love with the Afghan people, especially the women and girls, and began a project called “Journey with an Afghan School”, with the vision to build bridges of understanding between the Afghan people and the American people by creating quality educational opportunities in Afghanistan that empowered and inspired children and their families to build peaceful, just, and life-affirming communities. Over 50,000 Americans supported “Journey with an Afghan School,” including school kids and private citizens, civic and religious institutions, National Geographic, Rotary, and community and family foundations.

Julia and her teams created a rare model of success where they built/repaired and equipped more than 40 schools that have now educated over 250,000 students. She also partnered with numerous local and international entities to develop effective and sustainable solutions, raise funds for humanitarian aid projects, distribute goods-in-kind, and provide expertise on development, legal, and human rights issues.

A graduate of Smith College and Northwestern University School of Law, Julia is dedicated to engaging, educating, and empowering those in low-resource settings. She is a champion of girls’ education and advocated tirelessly for the Global Partnership for Education. She served as an informal advisor to members of the White House, State Department, Congress, Military, and U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council. In 2012, she was awarded the World Affairs Council (Seattle) highest award for global citizenship, which was presented by former President Jimmy Carter.