Afghanistan: "Girls will do anything to continue learning"
A displaced female teacher wearing a burqa from Takhar province, (l) speaks during an interview with the Associated Press inside her tent in a public park in Kabul, August 13, 2021. AP - Rahmat Gul
Text by: Heike Schmidt Follow
5 mins
Under the Taliban, will it still be possible for girls to go to school?
Pashtana Durrani wants to believe it.
It is out of the question for the founder and director of the NGO “Learn” to give up.
With her organization, supported by Unicef, she intends to enable learning for all Afghans, boys and girls, men and women.
Advertising
Read more
RFI: You have been living in hiding since the Taliban took over power. Do you fear for your life?
Pashtana Durrani:
Yes, I must fear for my life because of the current situation and the disorder in the country.
I change places regularly to stay safe.
There is no doubt that the Taliban are going door to door looking for those who oppose them and those who have opposed them in the past.
Leaving Afghanistan like tens of thousands of others, is that an option you are considering?
Where I am, it is impossible for me to flee, so no, I will not leave.
Taking refuge abroad is of course an option, but there are people here who depend on me, I cannot abandon them.
Other than that, I absolutely want to be able to stay in my country.
Are you still able to continue your work within the NGO “Learn” whose priority is girls' education?
We are currently negotiating with school principals.
They all tell me that the schools are still closed, but we hope they will reopen their doors soon.
The Taliban cannot keep schools closed forever.
Otherwise, we will try to find new teaching methods to ensure the education of girls.
What matters most is that they can learn safely.
Parents, will they dare to send their daughters to class?
The question is not whether or not to dare to send your daughter to school, it is quite simply a necessity. We are already thinking about opening an unofficial, underground school. Satellite technology can help us send the content of school books to our students. We already have some experiences with applications that work without an internet connection. We will pursue our goal: that learning must be accessible to all students without exception, even those who no longer have physical access to a school. There will be solutions, even if the schools remain closed. The children want to learn and the girls will do anything to be able to continue learning. We will do everything in our power to help them.
► See also: Afghanistan: women again under duress in areas taken over by the Taliban
Do you already see some resistance to the Taliban?
There is a civil resistance movement. This is not necessarily resistance against the Taliban regime, but a desire to preserve Afghanistan so that future generations no longer have to suffer this chaos. People want to be involved in the new government, they want to make their voices heard. At the moment, Afghanistan is a country held hostage. People feel like hostages. Some want to go abroad, others want a life in safety in Afghanistan. I will continue to do what I have to do here and say what I have to say. I tell myself that the Taliban are not powerful enough to silence me. I will remain master of my destiny, I will not allow myself to be silenced. We'll see who wins in the end!
►
Consult the
website of the NGO Learn
►
See also: Women's rights in Afghanistan: "We refuse to live under the violent Taliban regime"
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Afghanistan
Taliban
our selection
Education
Womens rights
Rights of the child
NGO