Sahar in The Seattle Times
Sadaf, age 18, joined the inaugural round of the Stealth Sisters program in July 2022, only months after the Taliban closed schools for girls in Afghanistan. Joining the program was an act of desperation for Sadaf — restrictions on women mounted by the day.
Innovative, courageous organizations and individuals are ensuring that the Taliban’s announcement didn’t mean the end of girls’ educational opportunities. Washington-based nonprofit Sahar’s programs, such as Stealth Sisters, teach English and computer skills.
Sahar Education Featured in The Seattle Times
When the Taliban reclaimed Afghanistan in 2021, Seattle-based Sahar found its mission completely undermined.
For almost 20 years, the nonprofit had worked to educate Afghan girls, denied education under the first Taliban regime in the 1990s. Sahar repaired schools and built new ones, which it turned over to Afghanistan’s education ministry to run.
Sahar: Finding Innovative ways to Educate Girls in Afghanistan, Despite the Risks
Education is pivotal in promoting gender equality, and Sahar is committed to preventing and combating gender discrimination by supporting girls’ and women’s education in Afghanistan. Education is a fundamental human right; however, it is well known that since the Taliban has taken over Afghanistan, education has once again been taken away from millions of Afghan girls. Currently, formal education is banned for girls above 6th grade in Afghanistan. As an organization expanding access to girls’ Education in Afghanistan for 20 years, we at Sahar are deeply saddened and enraged by the decision. We use strategies to redirect our rage and sadness towards strengthening our efforts of providing girls’ access to quality education.