Stockbridge — In Afghanistan, the Taliban, the country’s ruling power, bans women from pursuing secondary and higher education. According to a report issued in August by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021, has prevented over 1.4 million girls from receiving an education.
In August, the Taliban enacted “The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.” According to the United Nations, the law includes a list of repressive provisions on women, including a ban on women’s voices being heard in public, a mandate that women must wear clothing covering their entire bodies, a ban on women speaking outside of their homes, and restrictions on women traveling without a male relative.
In defiance of the oppressive Taliban regime, three young women from Afghanistan have traveled to America to study at the Berkshire Waldorf School. The three students have obtained financial support from multiple organizations, including the Afghan Scout Relief Fund and the Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund.
The school initiated a fundraising campaign that raised $12,000 from multiple private donors, including donations from Jane Iredale, Carole Owens [DISCLAIMER: Carole Owens is a columnist for The Berkshire Edge], and Bobbie Hallig, which has helped to cover the costs of program fees and school supplies. The school has waived all tuition fees for the students, who are staying with families in the local area.
For the sake of the students’ security, The Berkshire Edge has agreed with the school not to publish the students’ full names but instead identify them by their first names: Masuda, Humaira, and Sara. “Because of what is happening right now in Afghanistan, everything is being monitored by the Taliban,” Berkshire Waldorf Communications Consultant Nichole Dupont told The Berkshire Edge. “To reveal their full names would also potentially reveal who their families are. We don’t want their families to experience any kind of trouble or danger. These three young women didn’t leave the country illegally, but it certainly wasn’t in broad daylight.”
“It’s dangerous for these women to get an education,” Dupont explained. “Education for these young women is illegal, even if it’s online education. They’re not even allowed to attend classes online. All educational opportunities have been denied to them.”
The school became involved with bringing the three students to America to pursue an education through Afghan girls’ education advocate Mike Weinstein. In late January, Weinstein reached out via email to over 100 high schools in Massachusetts trying to see if any of the schools would be able to take the three students.
According to Admissions Director Samantha Stier, the organizations helped to get the three students out of Afghanistan. “We couldn’t have done any of this without the support of the organizations and our host families,” Stier said. “The organizations created a network in Afghanistan and Pakistan, like an underground railroad. They worked directly to get these girls to Pakistan for their visa interviews. The visa interview is extremely complicated because one slight [wrong] answer means rejection. The students had to spend weeks practicing for visa interviews, going over and over again any possible question that might come up.”
Stier said that the girls had to overcome many hurdles to get to America. “The host families are providing room, board, and transportation to and from school,” Stier said. “On top of that, there’s a degree of emotional support that is required for these students who are leaving their homes for the first time, and they might not ever see their families again.”
Stier said she is happy that the school is in a position where they can provide an education for the three students. “I think a lot of times, people read these stories on the news and feel helpless,” Stier said. “Here is a situation where the school was able to work with organizations, host families, and donors to make a difference for these three young women. My heart breaks for the millions of women and girls in Afghanistan who haven’t gotten that chance. But it’s still, I think it’s great to be a part of the school that can do that.”
“I had a chance to take the girls out to lunch, and what resonated with me is the great risk that their families have taken, and the risks they have taken, all to get an education,” Dupont said. “Education is everything to them. They may never return to Afghanistan, and they may never see their own families again. It’s hard for me to talk about this without tearing up.”
“Considering everything they have been through, including the incredible homesickness, culture shock, and being away from their families, they are doing well academically,” Stier added. “Their English is excellent, and they are adapting and learning. The culture is just so completely different, and there’s no way you can be prepared for that world of difference. But considering all of this, they are doing really well and so happy to be here.”
