Scholar Stories
Due to the Taliban resurgence, we are no longer able to share the details of our scholars which allow people to follow their journeys. It is possible however to share anonymised accounts. Rahela Trust scholarships bring hope for a better future.
A Message From Yumna*
*Yumna’s name has been changed for her safety.
“Growing up in the Logar Tribe, they did not send their daughters to school due to being conservative and having a complicated opinion…my uncle…was obliged to leave our village because I was not allowed to go to school…
As soon as I finished school, due to my interest in continuing my education, I successfully passed the [name omitted] University exams for the faculty of economics…however, as soon as the first semester ended…my grandmother was not able to pay my education costs…I was obliged to leave university.
The light was sparkling in the dark and I was given hope. Fortunately, I joined the school of Rahela Trust…it was through coaching, mentoring and morale building…and the encouragement and support of Mrs Sidiqi…I achieved 99% mark in my academic studies. I am getting better and better and moving stronger than before…I took responsibility….I learned that I must be someone who does not give up on honesty, truthfulness, kindness, and service to people. I was able to do something for my capacity building…I am proud…
Yumna who was…very shy yesterday…presents with…braveness…today…I convey….honesty, working on herself, empowering others. To be a stable human being in society, to be a role model in society, these are the values that I learned from Rahela Trust…I learned…the effective and efficient use of resources is important…that the money given to me for projects for women and girls should be used carefully…it was an internship for me…that these resources should be used well…I learned that I had to work harder in the face of the Taliban…and never give up.
I hope you are the ones who help thousands of girls like me. Because Afghanistan is a country where women are like objects. Like me, there are thousands of girls in different places, villages and provinces…and they must be in society to lead as the agents of change, to bring the society from darkness to light.
Thank you, all dears, for listening to my story!”
*Yumna’s name has been changed to protect her identity
She achieved 99% in both her Spring and Autumn term examinations.
A Message From Amina
Rahela Trust alumna, Amina Omid is safely residing in Kosovo. She shares her personal story and the impact the scholarship programme had for her.
I am Amina Omid, an Afghan journalist. I’ve worked as a writer, researcher, and presenter for the last five years. At the beginning of 2017, I was in charge of working on women’s issues at Nimrokh Media. I published many articles from a female perspective. Later on, I opened my own media outlet, which is Hamasa-e-Tagher, which means Epic Change. It was a weekly newspaper that spread love and hopes to people throughout Afghanistan’s nine provinces. I worked hard to create a platform for women, to raise their voices.
When I was in High School, I came to understand how crucial it is to promote women’s rights and have a thorough understanding of gender issues. Hence, I voluntarily created a corporation at that time with a human rights organization.
After school, the first time, when I moved to Kabul, I was by myself, a stranger in the new city, and I had horrible economic hardships every day. Notwithstanding my frustration, I kept working toward my objectives. I studied International Relations at Gawharshad University and received a journalism certificate from Jahan-e-Noor University. While studying I was known as “Amina hundred” among students at Gawharshad University since I was the only one who received a perfect score three semesters in a row.
Rahela Trust helped me with full financial support up till my graduation. With Rahela Trust, I learned to be a voice in the silence and a light in the darkness.
When the Taliban took over all of Afghanistan they seized control of the Hamasa-e-Tagher weekly media office, which is in the Ghor province of Afghanistan, where the Taliban continue to hold sway. They use it as an army guest house. Secondly, they searched two times my media office in Kabul and the last time they were so cruel. They came to my house as well and finally with the help of FPU, I moved to Islamabad Pakistan.
Now I am on a temporary journalistic program in Kosovo hosted by the Government of Kosovo and the Association of Journalists of Kosovo. I never thought that one day someone would decide to kill me just because I am a journalist and work to raise awareness of women’s rights. But it happened.
If you’re interested to discover more, see links to Amina’s work below. |