I was born in Afghanistan where
education is not an option
for many girls but I was one of the
lucky ones
both my parents knew how to read and
write so they could teach me and my
family nothing was more important than
education it was how we described our
wealth we would always say we were rich
in education and I wasn't about to miss
out when I was five I protested my way
into elementary school
by the age of 10 I started helping girls
in my neighborhood who are not able to
attend school I had a big blackboard
that was taller than me and I would haul
it around like a dance partner going
from house to house knocking on people's
doors to bring girls together to educate
them we had a giant tree outside my
house or I would hang a black gown on
and bring chairs from my mom's classroom
in our home I even saw what the real
teachers were and I dressed so that I
could look more professional like them
to make my class more interesting I
would ask my parents for ideas I made up
weekly exams to see the progress they
made and rewarded them with toys to keep
them excited about learning people
walking by on the street would think we
were playing the teacher shooting game
not everyone in my neighborhood thought
as my parents did my dad was a geography
teacher and was willing to send us
wherever he had to so we could get an
education this was not seen favorably by
others especially when it came to my
sisters and I he was ridiculed for
spending money to educate his daughters
but there are some who placed a high
value on education just like my parents
said after seeing me teach every day I
was offered a paid job by my neighbors
so at 11 I started teaching preschool
kids Farsi and math the two subjects we
learn in school I love that my little
students called Neos Todd which means
teacher and I made it I was a real
teacher my mom was a social activist and
a school teacher I mean really where
else would a fivehead learn how to lobby
her way into school
she used to teach illiterate woman in
our home and then became a social worker
traveling through different provinces
and villages to talk to women about the
importance of an education I was my
mom's travel partner and there were
times when I took over the teaching
while my mom took a break it was during
this time with my mom that I saw the
challenge that the Afghan people faced
especially women and what I realized was
that getting an education was such a
powerful solution being educated changes
everything I was very fortunate that my
mom was an incredible role model and my
dad believed in the importance of an
education for his daughters when I was
12 I got accepted into the school of
leadership Afghanistan called Sola this
was the first boarding school for girls
where students came from different parts
of Afghanistan being the youngest of six
children and very attached to my parents
it would not have been easy to stay away
from my family as the school era was
away and my mom was convinced that I
wouldn't last beyond a week while she
was wrong 12 weeks later I was there
mingling and learning with other girls
from different parts of Afghanistan
education and friends were the solution
to my homesickness
I loved Sola i loved its diversity
I loved it the only language we could
speak was English and the strict rule
worked because within two years I was
fluent in English it sounds great
doesn't it
but what I realize now is that some of
the normal things at school weren't all
that normal at all
for instance unlike other schools Sola
had no public signage this was to keep
us safe from those who thought educating
girls was wrong especially learning the
English language our security guards to
tell the neighbors living around us that
were all siblings and his daughter's
just to keep us safe our little brains
and ears were full of sounds of
explosions we were trained to go QQ
which means quiet and quick to a hidden
basement whenever we would hear one we
were hiding from the bombs but also the
terrorist groups who might come and find
us the Afghan people have heard
explosions so often that they're used to
them imagine that one day there's a big
explosion killing hundreds of innocent
people and going about their lives and
the next day everyone is back at school
or work we had become desensitized to it
it had become normal but even from
something like this we can learn I
learned perseverance
like thousands of other girls in
Afghanistan I don't give up literal
things like a hard class or a test are
nothing compared to a bomb if my world
falls I get up I persevere in 2014 when
they were escalated and our security was
at risk Seoul announced its closing for
a whole year all our goals and plans are
ruined after we heard the news we did
not know if you could come back or not
my father made the 8 hours trip to pick
me up and take me home back home the
Taliban took over most of the provinces
around us including part of mine my
family wanted to flee but we had no way
out we were afraid that our city would
be next but even from something like
this we can learn like I said once again
in my short life education was the
solution to keep my mind busy I decided
to write and publish poems and essays
about our situation I thought that if we
could educate the world on what was
happening we could find a solution I
would like to share a few words of
poetry that I have written at the age of
14 I am a girl of war I can stand
against the Taliban not with a gun but
with a pen I am brave and strong I will
not let them destroy my country I refuse
to be terrorized
I will fight back with my mighty voice
due to the increasingly volatile
political circumstances and the
possibility of pursuing a better
education my family cemetery us at 15 I
traveled alone and attended High School
in California and what was it most
surprised about not the classes
schedules or books but that there are
boys in the school
and I learned something else you see I
had only seen the world through my eyes
and saw the kids in my school as people
I should be careful of I never thought
they would also look at me with
confusion and caution or fear of the
unknown this was a shift in thinking I
wasn't expecting but I felt compelled to
do something with the support of a
school counselor and other teachers I
dreamt up solidary today I did for more
diversity I created posters and invited
fellow students to come and receive free
henna during lunch as a result many
students came and had the opportunity to
learn about our culture and that I was a
teenager very much like them educating
them was a solution to their fear of the
unknown fear of me and how I look and I
learned it while we sometimes initially
let assumptions confuses that we can
actually learn about each other and I
really am not that different three years
ago I came to Canada and join my sister
Miriam who is more like a mom to me
within one until my arrival I received
the Canadian Spirit Award a full
scholarship to Stratford Hall a private
IB school my acceptance at this school
was a dream come true I made the most
amazing people at this school similar to
my high school in California I got
involved as a student leader and created
community both within and outside the
school
I'm now 19 and have earned a full
scholarship to study political science
at the University of British Columbia
where I am today is a long way from the
young girl dragging the black words
around in Afghanistan but I'm here
because I had an opportunity to get an
education my dream is to gather even
more tools to advocate for others back
home my neighbors look at my parents
differently now they have shifted their
thinking and are now sending their
daughters wherever they can to get an
education in 2011 only 17% of females
were literate in Afghanistan in 2018 the
female literacy rate increased 29% which
is a step in the right direction but
still can you imagine
29% this is due to many reasons but one
of them is the increased awareness and
then pointers of an education people
have now realized that sending their
daughters to school brings pride not
shame education needs to be for everyone
everywhere it is the solution to many of
our fear of the unknown the door to more
possibilities it gives us a better way
to solve the problems we are faced with
like I said I am one of the lucky ones
but that comes with a responsibility I
feel a duty to raise awareness for those
voices that are not being heard our
responsibility to advocate for change if
we use education effectively it is
possible to have a world where we use
words and instead of weapons books and a
set of bombs a world where we lay down
our swords and use our education
effectively for a more fulfilling life
education not only saved my life but
also changed it let's work together to
give the same opportunity to others
Tasha car thank you
you