The Resistance of Satuda Qureshi

Growing up in Afghanistan as a girl always meant fighting for what I wanted. I had learned from a young age that if I wanted something, I had to fight for it. But how could I fight against something so powerful?

When the Taliban closed the doors of the schools, I knew that this was a fight I couldn’t win alone. At first, I didn’t believe it. I continued to hold on to the hope that the situation would change. But as the months passed, my world grew darker.

One day, while attending a secret study session with a few of my classmates, we realized we had been found out. That night, I packed my books in fear, telling my mother, “I have no hope anymore.”

For a long time, I struggled with depression. But then, one of my friends introduced me to the Women’s Empowerment Program. At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when I took my first class, I felt as though I had been given a second chance.

The program not only helped me learn again, but it showed me that education is not limited to physical classrooms. Even though the Taliban tried to take everything from us, they couldn’t take away our knowledge and our hope.

Satuda Qureshi