Today’s Afghanistan has not only deprived women of their most basic rights but has also left thousands of male students without a future, changing the path of their dreams and goals.
When I was a child, I followed my school lessons with great enthusiasm. In Afghanistan, I was a top student at my school, and all my grades were 100. I had big dreams; however, after the fall of the country to the Taliban, my family was forced to migrate, and I could no longer continue my education. I had no choice but to leave for a foreign land.
After moving to Pakistan, I stayed away from school and books for more than eight months, and like other members of my family, my life was spent amid stress and pressure. After we moved from Pakistan to Germany, facing a new environment, unfamiliarity with a new language and culture, and separation from the friends I had left behind in Afghanistan created difficult circumstances for me.
Here, too, I heard a lot about the challenges of learning German and the difficulties ahead, which increased my feelings of hopelessness. At first, learning the German language was very difficult for me; however, I was soon able to make progress, become well-liked among students and teachers, and gain the attention of my instructors.
After arriving in Germany, I first attended a language course and learned German at the B1 level. After that, I entered the ninth grade.
Many people told me that continuing school in Germany would be difficult and that I might not be able to keep going. Some even suggested that it would be better for me to work instead. However, I decided to continue my education. At first, I thought school would be very challenging, especially because of the language barrier, but once I started, I realized that with effort and determination, I could overcome the challenges.
Despite my language difficulties, I entered the tenth grade and was able to continue my studies without major problems. Yesterday, I successfully completed this grade. One of the biggest challenges for me was adapting to the new culture and environment. In the beginning, I did not know how to communicate with people, and sometimes I felt that some individuals treated me differently. Whenever they found out that I was from Afghanistan, their reactions were not always what I had expected.
However, over time, I improved my language skills, became more familiar with German society, and managed to find my place in the new environment. Today, I am happy that despite all the difficulties, I did not give up on my education and was able to become one of the successful students. My experience shows that when opportunities for education and support are available, migrants can also adapt to their new communities and succeed.
I hope that one day Afghanistan will also have a high-quality and inclusive education system; a day when no child, whether a girl or a boy, is deprived of the right to education, and when Afghan girls can freely go to school, study, and work toward building their own future.
