She is also a global youth representative for Amnesty International and the Malala Fund Education Champion. During her two-year appointment, she will research ways to help Afghan women and girls pursue education and support the health of Afghan mothers and babies. I know there are stories with Afghan women where they have been through poverty. Introducing new advanced innovations to uplift Afghanistan She is the founder and executive director of Learn:Afghan, a nonprofit organization that educates Afghan children, focusing on girls. Since then, we have given them internet connection, gotten them laptops, made sure that the teachers within Afghanistan connect with each other and teach the girls at home. Without these cookies, we can't provide services to you. And my father just replied back, it's not a woman, it's my child. And I feel like it's very important when we talk about stuff like this, because for my father, I was a child, even if I was nine or ten years old, growing and physically changing. Pashtana founded the nonprofit LEARN and developed a program for getting educational materials directly into the hands of girls in remote areas of the country, training teachers in digital literacy. That's where I drive my power from. LIMBONG: As the bans have escalated, how has attendance in these underground schools been? First Person. Past Event Women in Afghanistan and the role of US support. DURRANI: Thank you for having me. She is an Afghan human rights activist and community development expert whose focus is girls education. A srie examina o papel das mulheres no sculo XXI e inclui eventos em Londres, [1] no Mxico [2] e no Brasil.Assim que a lista divulgada, o comeo do que descrito pelo projeto como a "temporada das mulheres da BBC", com durao de trs semanas, Fellow. A lifelong learner, Durrani believes in individual and community strengths and peoples innate ability to improve their lives. October 5. Pashtana Durrani Pashtana is a former refugee who was born in Pakistan's refugee camp and is now an educator and the director of LEARN, Afghanistan. Pashtana was evacuated from Afghanistan very recently and currently is in the US. TV Shows. Anyways. Women cannot go to parks, schools, teach, work, work in banks, work menial jobs or even, like, you know, teach in schools. Nobody is literally listening to Afghans right now. And then I think a month ago, a woman was murdered because she choose to marry some other guy who was from a different district, so - and both of these happened because of the Taliban. But the women are not allowed to teach. She was a global youth representative for Amnesty International and served on a climate change committee of the United Nations Development Programme. With an OverDrive account, you can save your favorite libraries Durranisees elements of her fathers courage and her mothers dedication in her advocacy work. The population continues to grow, but there is no midwife, there is no doctor, there is no teacher, which means illiteracy becomes more, poverty becomes more, child labor becomes more. That has been my goal all my life. And your nonprofit, LEARN, helps girls access education despite all of this - despite all this danger. August 26, 2021 3:04 AM EDT. None of those things you'll see from them. Durrani was named an Education Champion by the Malala Fund for her outstanding work to advance Afghan girls education. And when I prepared her for high school, we enrolled her in a proper school. Yesterday, the Afghan government banned women from working in local and international non-governmental organizations. LIMBONG: If women and girls are being denied an education right now, what do you think the broader future for Afghanistan looks like? It's easier because I have been encouraged all my life, and that's more important for me. Share on Facebook. So it has been an emotional journey, honestly, and everyone is scared. 2021. She is an Afghan human rights activist and community development expert whose focus is girls education. And I kept on getting asked by the donor, why isn't students showing up? Durrani is the founder of LEARN Afghanistan (@LearnAfg), a grassroots organization established to safely and securely provide education to girls through a distributed network of tablet computers using an offline platform. Through LEARN, she has educated 7,000 girls and boys in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and trained more than 80 teachers in digital literacy. Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Pashtana Durrani of LEARN, a nonprofit focused on women's education in Afghanistan, about the Taliban's exclusion of Afghan girls from secondary schools. Without these cookies, we won't know if you have any performance-related issues that we may be able to address. LEARN has been very vocal about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and has vowed to see forward the upholding of basic human rights especially education of girls. And it's easier for me to focus on solutions like that. My mother taught and my father led. Create your website with Loopia Sitebuilder. Share on Facebook. Pashtana is a radical feminist activist. They were like, yeah, we don't want this. But all of your family and friends are still back home in Afghanistan. WebPashtana Durrani, is the Co-Founder & Managing Director of LEARN, an Afghan non-governmental and non-profit organisation. But then once that was banned and women were not allowed to go to other provinces, then within the same provinces, we partnered up with community leaders and opened up schools in people's houses. My cousin gave me a path to follow, Durranisays. By Abhishyant Kidangoor. LIMBONG: How are you doing watching all of this? Kandahar, Afghanistan. DURRANI: Today, we got this news where they would be stopping girls from going to all these, you know, extracurricular activities or afterschool programs that are being used right now to teach girls secondary school subjects. I was able to go to a proper school, a proper learning institution, because my brother very much believed in education and he supported me. So they would come from Barchi (ph) to this school that we had in Kabul. Yeah, definitely, definitely. One was tortured to die, and the other one was kidnapped for three days because she posted something on Facebook. I think that inspired a lot of things in the process at the same time. In the first part of our two-hour finale to our History of Afghanistan series, Tim Nunan, lecturer in global history at the Free University of Berlin, moderates a panel discussion where he, Danny, and Derek are joined by Pashtana Durrani, founder of LEARN Afghan, and Haroun Rahimi, lawyer and visiting professor at Universit Bocconi.In this first part of the That's why LEARN started. She is also coordinating aid for families who survived a recent flood in Kandahar, and for families suffering displacement in Bamyan. They argue that while mosques can only be used as temporary schools, the real aim should be to strengthen and reform the current formal education system. jr ntr grandfather n. t. rama rao biography political career wife and family tree N T Rama Rao: '' , 40 To learn more about cookies, please see our cookie policy. I don't have to be worried about who's going to pay me, who's going to pay the staff. I needed to put my education first, Durranisays. Login to Loopia Customer zone and actualize your plan. Pashtana Zalmai Khan Dorani she/her Personal blog Feminist,Educator,Speaker,Exec Dir @learn.afg , @aspennewvoices Fellow, Fellow @wellesleycollege ,Emerging Leader @tallbergfoundation , @Malalafund Champ. WebPashtana Durrani is an Afghan human rights activist and community development expert whose focus is girls education. LIMBONG: Can you, to the best of your ability, like, break down how these schools work? When it comes to girls' education, I'm not the sort of person who gets, I wouldn't say inspired. And this is how many - how much we are investing in alternative ways to learning like video learning, internet learning, zero meter (ph) learning on data, you know? DURRANI: It has been an emotional roller coaster journey, in all honesty. Pashtana Durrani, Self: Pod Save the World. But right now I'm just hopeless. By - January 28, 2021. And the first thing the guy says is, when you were a kid, your father used to take you out in a car and we can, we used to see and used to be like, why do you take your daughter in a car everywhere you go?. Sometimes it takes one girl and her kidnapping or taking her away for just three days and people will just drop out of school because they don't want that dishonor for their own daughters, you know? WebPashtana Durrani Biography Mini Bio (1) Pashtana Durrani is known for Pod Save the World (2017). 2: Rural areas have been war-stricken like Mexico. One was tortured to die, and the other one was kidnapped for three days because she posted something on Facebook. You guys are running underground schools and such. Wellesley Centers for WomenWellesley College106 Central StreetWellesley, MA 02481-8203 USA, Copyright 2022 Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College | Privacy Policy, National SEED Project | National Institute on Out-of-School Time, Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. And I kept on telling them that a lot of them lost their brothers in the bomb blast and they can no more come because they cannot travel alone and they are not allowed to be alone. Fueled by his insistence that Here at LEARN our vision is provision of Education Health Care through innovation. Pashtana Durrani is the founder and executive director of LEARN, a non-profit organization aimed at empowering girls in Afghanistan through education. You just do it, that's it you open up your own, you put in all your resources, you focus on that, then later if the Taliban follow, then you reply to that. PashtanaDurraniis on a mission to improve the lives of women and girls in her home country of Afghanistan. 1. Part of the program includes Thank you so much for talking to us today. She is also a global youth representative for Amnesty International and the Malala Fund Education Champion. By continuing to use our site, or clicking ", Q&A: Learning at Wellesley, While Helping Girls Learn in Afghanistan, 12/07/22, UN Human Rights: Reflecting on progress, 12/10/22, Summer School: Gender Equity in Education, 07/10/22, Justice and Gender-Based Violence Research Initiative. You had mentioned before that you think the burden should rest on the shoulders of international leaders to help Afghan girls and women right now. Because of this, three major international aid groups, including Save the Children, have suspended their operations. Well, in all honesty I'm going to be honest. But the women are not allowed to teach. DURRANI: Let's say, in the next five years, girls are not graduating from high school. We dont want our country to be a playing field for games, great or small, by meddling neighbors or distant hegemons. I was his prodigy, to be honest, he has focused on everything that I am today. Like, how are you adapting to all these new bans and different dangers? By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy. And I kept on getting asked by the donor, why isn't students showing up? She is also a winner for the 2021 Tllberg-SNF-Eliasson Emerging Leader prize, which recognizes leaders who have addressed complex global challenges in innovative ways. WebPashtana Durrani Promotes Digital Literacy for Children and Trains Girls in Menstrual Hygiene Management & Reproductive Health Pashtana is the 2021 Tllberg-SNF-Eliasson Global She hopes, eventually, to host a school in each of Afghanistans 34 provinces, with each one serving 100 girls and women for a 12-month period. The long walks help me clear my mind.. Protect your company name, brands and ideas as domains at one of the largest domain providers in Scandinavia. Thats how governments work in Afghanistan. Add a bio, trivia, and more. The Taliban claims they will allow women and children to go to school, but that reality has not been realized, says Afghan education activist Pashtana Durrani. Join Facebook to connect with Pashtana Durrani and others you may know. The only thing that women can do right now is, A, go to the doctor, which is allowed, and the second thing is young girls can go to school. But then once that was banned and women were not allowed to go to other provinces, then within the same provinces, we partnered up with community leaders and opened up schools in people's houses. You're now working at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. DURRANI: I remember our Kabul school, five, six months ago, one of these people who were trying to get us help and they were donors in the U.S., and a bomb blast happened in Afghanistan, in Kabul, and that affected a lot of our students. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Pashtana Durrani is a visiting fellow at the Wellesley Centers for Women. There were times where I would have cried. Pashtana Durrani All Events. We use this information to create a better experience for all users. Please review the types of cookies we use below. LIMBONG: You left Afghanistan. A lista das 100 Mulheres (BBC) do ano de 2021 premiou 100 mulheres por serem inspiradoras e influentes em diversas reas. I will believe them when they open working spaces for girls. Mine was when my cousin asked me if she could have the same life that I did. Like, how are you adapting to all these new bans and different dangers? The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. DURRANI: It has been an emotional roller coaster journey, in all honesty. View the profiles of people named Pashtana Durrani. The organization has also developed tools that enable students to learn outside of school, including an app that lets them access games, books, and videos when they can connect to the internet and continue their lessons later, offline. My living circumstances were pretty much good. The Durrn ( Pashto: , pronounced [durni] 1) formerly known as Abdl ( ), are one of the largest tribes of Pashtuns. adilkhan durrani biography / bollywood biography/ DURRANI: Thank you for having me. So we would try to give them scholarships or, like, you know, find them sponsors. For me personally, as an Afghan woman, I have identity issues that I would never disclose. DURRANI: I think the first thing the world leaders need to be doing is at least ask the educators what the solutions are, you know? Her commitment to education has made her a target of the Taliban. During her time at WCW, she is continuing her research to help Afghan women and girls pursue education and support the health of Afghan mothers and babies. Nobody is literally listening to Afghans right now. As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan worsens through the harsh winter, Durraniis also organizing meal programs for mothers and infants, and working on opening schools in Takhar, Helmand, Faryab, Mazar, and Nangarhar. As a teenager, Durraniaspired to become a diplomat, but that changed during a visit to family in Kandahar. I guess that's my power. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites View agent, publicist, legal So I enjoy taking long walks along Lake Waban, and I pray, and I read. LIMBONG: Yeah. This girl that was kidnapped in Kandahar, her whole family, like, more than 20 girls, just dropped out. DURRANI: I don't know, honestly. This drove her to start LEARN, a network of schools and partnerships to teach girls STEM subjects. And that's what we have been focusing on right now. These cookies allow you to explore OverDrive services and use our core features. They also maintain a Facebook page they regularly update with programs and lesson plans for anyone to access. DURRANI: So for starters, let's say a year ago, girls were allowed to travel. LIMBONG: You graduated from university in May, right? I was encouraged to accept myself, my identity, and become the person that I am. It was sandwiched Her nonprofit, LEARN, has started emergency relief programs for women and children facing malnutrition and starvation. There are times where I would have screamed at world leaders. DURRANI: Let's say, in the next five years, girls are not graduating from high school. DURRANI: Oh, yeah. Use LoopiaWHOIS to view the domain holder's public information. DURRANI: I think the first thing the world leaders need to be doing is at least ask the educators what the solutions are, you know? Not as close as you might think, What We're Watching: Russia lashes out, Khan ups election ante, China's population shrinks. Three weeks ago, we had a student that was kidnapped. Pashtana Durrani is the executive director of LEARN. The last time that she spoke with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, she was in hiding, moving location to location, in order to avoid the Taliban as they took over the country. And I kept on telling them that a lot of them lost their brothers in the bomb blast and they can no more come because they cannot travel alone and they are not allowed to be alone. LEARN pivoted from operating 18 schools in the open to just two, with morning and evening classes for two separate cohorts of 100 girls each, in undisclosed locations. LIMBONG: If women and girls are being denied an education right now, what do you think the broader future for Afghanistan looks like? As a child, she especially enjoyed biographies. PublishedDecember 25, 2022 at 5:28 PM EST. Read writing from Pashtana Durrani on Medium. You're now working at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. LIMBONG: Yeah. She also saw how much a younger cousin wanted to learn how to use a computer, and she saw other cousins teaching themselves Hindi by watching television. DURRANI: Oh, yeah. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the interviewee, and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Fem Word organization. For the past one year, I have seen U.S. appoint multiple people for Afghans, but tell me one concrete position that they hold or they have done or a framework where they said, OK, these many girls are going to get educated from an alternative way to learning. It was sandwiched So those are all things that one has to think about, providing an education in Afghanistan, which is such a normal thing in all the world, and here we are running a program as in we are doing something very illegal. In Kandahar, Its a Dangerous Time for Women. On Friday, the city where she lives and works fell to the Taliban . She is an Afghan human rights activist and community development expert whose focus is girls education. I focus on solutions, but I'm also trying to focus on the practicality of it. TV Shows. Im working on my anxiety and my fear of socialization. And as ever, she is reading. And at the same time, organizations like us are trying to make sure that we do whatever we can and provide the best services out there. Thank you so much for talking to us today. Liked by Pashtana Durrani ISLAMABAD : Dr. Saleema Rehman is the first Afghan refugee woman to ever become a gynecologist in Pakistan. DURRANI: Today, we got this news where they would be stopping girls from going to all these, you know, extracurricular activities or afterschool programs that are being used right now to teach girls secondary school subjects. Pashtana Durrani runs a charity which focuses on getting women and girls into education in Kandahar, Afghanistan. We are also having this clinic that functions for women and they give free healthcare checkups, free ultrasounds, free tests, and also drugs, of course. Pashtana Durrani is the executive director of LEARN. So it's much easier for me to focus on solutions. LIMBONG: You left Afghanistan. OverDrive uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your experience, monitor our performance, and understand overall usage trends for OverDrive services (including OverDrive websites and apps). After all, Im 24 and I need to center myself and take care of my mental and physical health. The person I am, the way I talk, the way I have spoken over the course of several months, and everything that I stand for, my father has his part in all those things. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. Pashtana Durrani is an educator and the director for LEARN, Afghanistan. Today, [the Taliban] are in power, Durranisays. Find this title in Libby, the library reading app by OverDrive. Menu. Women will be dying because of postmortem hemorrhage and anything that's prenatal, postnatal health care problem that could not be dealt with someone within the village. And at the same time, organizations like us are trying to make sure that we do whatever we can and provide the best services out there. So for me, to be honest, at this point, it's less about who is a powerful person, is less about who's the political one, and it's also about the fact that every time I remember when I talk to people, they're like, oh, if I get elected, then I'm going to do this, if I get more money, I'm going to do this for me. It's never that for me, it's like, I have to take an action that's it. Are you the owner of the domain and want to get started? But it's getting harder by the day. I am the sort of person who sees a problem and has to find a solution. WebIn the 1990s, my family fled Afghanistan to escape the civil war and the Taliban control happening at the time. They were like, yeah, we don't want this. Yeah, definitely, definitely. Visit Amazon.au's Pashtana Durrani Page and shop for all Pashtana Durrani books. Pashtana made it to #Times100talks in 202. None of those things you'll see from them. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. 1730 Cambridge Street, 3rd Floor I'm actually a nineties kid. What do you think that they should be doing? So I chose exile.. That's it. He did mentor me for quite some time. We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Pashtana Durrani, executive director of LEARN a nonprofit that helps Afghan girls access education.