“Every morning when we used to take the cows to the pasture, I would go to the hill in front of the boys’ school and watch the school. I loved school before I knew what school meant,” said Basmina, who grew up in Khost province. The school was too far away from Basmina’s village and her father was worried that she would not be safe, and that the community would judge their family.
One day, Fariba, a teacher in a literacy programme run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and its partners across Afghanistan, came to their house. Fariba was looking for girls like Basmian, eager to learn how to read and write, to join her literacy class. Basmina’s mother again faced the reluctance of her husband, but this time she did not give up – the school was established in their village and the teachers were all women. Years passed and Basmina graduated from university – top of her class. Now, she works as Lead Adviser for an international organization in Afghanistan. None of this would not have been possible if Fariba – Basmina’s first teacher – had not knocked on her door all those years ago.
On International Women’s Day and every day, UNESCO in Afghanistan stands with women and girls like Basmina, her mother, and her dedicated teacher, Fariba, to ensure that they have what they need to live a life of their choosing.