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Shabana Basij-Rasikh
Co-Founder & President at School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA)
Shabana Basij-Rasikh is an Afghan educator, humanitarian, and women's rights champion who co-founded and serves as president of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA). Born and raised in Kabul, she has dedicated her life to promoting girls' education in Afghanistan.
Early Life and Education
Shabana grew up under Taliban rule, where girls' education was forbidden. She attended secret schools, often disguised as a boy to accompany her sister.3 After the Taliban's fall in 2002, she was able to attend public school openly. She later participated in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program in the United States.3
Shabana graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2011 with a degree in International Studies and Women & Gender Studies.57 She later earned a Master of Public Policy from Oxford University.2
Founding SOLA
While still in college, Shabana co-founded the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) in 2008.7 SOLA became Afghanistan's first and only all-girls boarding school, providing education to girls aged 11-19 from diverse ethnic backgrounds.34
Achievements and Recognition
Shabana has received numerous accolades for her work:
- Named one of Glamour Magazine's Top Ten College Women in 201037
- Selected as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 20147
- Awarded the Malalai Medal, one of Afghanistan's highest honors, in 201857
- Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 20195
- Received honorary doctorates from SOAS University of London and Cedar Crest College57
Recent Developments
In August 2021, following the Taliban's return to power, Shabana led the evacuation of SOLA's entire school community to Rwanda, where they have reestablished operations.24 She continues to advocate for girls' education and serves as a contributing columnist for The Washington Post.5
Shabana Basij-Rasikh's unwavering commitment to educating Afghan girls, even in the face of significant challenges, has made her a prominent figure in the fight for women's rights and education in Afghanistan.16
Highlights
Today marks 3 years since the fall of Kabul and the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan.
There is darkness today. Darkness on our country and darkness over the lives and in the hearts of every Afghan woman and girl.
It feels like that’s not even enough to say. The words aren’t enough, and can’t be.
I feel the darkness in my heart. The sadness it brings, and the anger.
But there is hope in me too.
Today I want to share the numbers from this year’s admissions season at School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) with you. They’re here in this graphic: the numbers of applications we’ve received each year since our first admissions season in Rwanda, back in 2022.
We received just under 200 applications that year.
We received just under 2,000 applications last year.
We received 3,290 applications this year.
We can enroll approximately 30 girls. 30 girls, out of 3,290 girls who applied.
That’s a little less than 1%.
Please think about that for a moment. Think about these numbers, and what these numbers are – and who these numbers are.
Each number is a real person. Each number is a real girl. Each number is human. Each number is hope.
We’d hoped to finish shortlisting applications by the end of July. We just haven’t been able to meet that goal, given the number of applications we received. We’re working on shortlisting through the summer, and of course we’ll be working with our partners at the UN’s International Organization for Migration, IOM - UN Migration, to bring admitted students to Rwanda.
I want to tell every Afghan girl who applied: we will read your application. Every one of you. All 3,290 of you.
And I want to tell you: you can sign up, right now, for our online academy SOLAx. We built SOLAx for you, and for every Afghan girl, everywhere.
You never give up. We never will either.
Your education is your right, and your hope is the fire in the darkness.
Today marks 1,000 days since girls have been freely permitted to attend school in #Afghanistan. This is a horrifying thing to say. An infuriating thing to write.
1,000 days. September 2021 to this moment.
But it’s not enough to look back in anger. What’s necessary is to look forward with intention.
Our intention, at School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), is to help create the best-educated generation of women that Afghanistan has ever known. Our intention is to help create a global network of sisterhood, a global network of compassionate and confident young leaders.
Our intention is to be a home for the Afghan girls who’ll change the world.
I’m so honored to be partnering with IOM - UN Migration to make this happen. I hope you’ll read their new press release, sharing news of the dozens of girls we’ve safely brought to us in #Rwanda: https://bit.ly/3VpbS0b. In it, you’ll hear from one of these girls yourself. Her voice, her goals. Her future.
Tomorrow is our final day of this year’s admissions season at SOLA. Meanwhile, our online academy SOLAx is in full swing, registering new learners and delivering daily content straight to each user’s smartphone.
Our global village of supporters makes this possible. It’s an honor to know you’re with us, and that you see the hope that Afghan women carry, the light that burns like fire in the darkness. It’s an honor to know that you do not look away.
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Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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