Defy the Taliban, Coding Classes for Afghan Girls

Despite a heavier focus on stopping girls from entering schools and learning by the Taliban this year, many girls are still eager to attend underground classes. 

The clandestine IT and Coding courses in the Underground TechSheroes program have continued and in the current session, 150 girls have been enrolled. With 2 levels, beginner students learn the basics of IT while returning girls learn more complex coding. Many students begin this course never having turned a computer on and are excited to graduate with the skills necessary to enroll in further online courses, get office jobs, and pursue other opportunities. 

During this round of the course, SAHAR is also pilot-testing an application for English learning that could be rolled out to hundreds more young women across Afghanistan.

Girls in this program like Sana say that they want to share their stories with the world through the skills they've learned. "By learning the Word program, I can now write a book about the barriers and problems of Afghan girls so that other girls don't lose their hope."

Others like Rayhana are eager to share their knowledge with girls in their communities, saying "I will teach for the other Afghan girls as I find the opportunity to teach. I hope that more educational opportunities will be provided for us to become more empowered."

Round 2 of the program will conclude in July, graduating 150 girls in 2024! And, SAHAR is working hard to enroll another 150 girls in the second half of 2024! 

If you'd like to support future iterations of this program, look out for SAHAR announcements on July 10th!

Links:

• Visit the SAHAR website to learn more