360Plus Afghan Leaders Program

In August 2021, the world was shocked as the Taliban swiftly and brutally seized power in Afghanistan. As an learning program with vulnerable Afghan students, we quickly pivoted our programming to support our alumni. We invite you to help our Afghan students flourish!

Since that fateful August, we have achieved a lot.  All of our alumni are now safely outside of Afghanistan.  Our young women alumni are continuing their educational journeys, one as a junior at a US-accredited university and another as a high school senior in California!  We are so proud of their accomplishments!  Although one of our students has been successfully resettled in the United States, our other wonderful student (we'll call her S) is in the process of applying for asylum in the United States, as she cannot return to Afghanistan, where nothing but violence awaits her as long as the Taliban is in power.  Thus, we are urgently fundraising for legal costs to ensure she can attain refuge in the United States.  Even though her situation is currently precarious, S is wasting no time and is doing all she can to help other Afghan women access educational materials and English language instruction so they, too, can continue their learning journeys.  She is truly an inspiration!

She tells her story in her own words:

I joined the 360Plus Foundation family in 2020 as one of their first three students from Afghanistan. Since then, the 360Plus Foundation has been supporting my education as well as my family through the most difficult times. With the unwavering support of 360Plus, I could escape the Taliban who imprison Afghan women and make it to my boarding school in California where I can access countless opportunities.

I applied for the service learning travel to India offered by the 360Plus Foundation in 2019, an opportunity my family could never afford otherwise. Despite COVID disrupting our travel plans, during the six-month climate change course, I learned about environmental issues, its impacts on the globe, and discussed ways of solution with my peers. After the course ended, I stayed connected with the cohort and bonded through receiving and sharing updates from our different countries, our personal lives, and through doing fun activities such as practicing an Indian dance on Zoom calls.

Before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, I was a senior in high school planning to pass the national university entrance exam and get into my dream school, Kabul University. However, my family’s financial constraints hindered me from taking the preparatory courses for the exam. Even after the Leadership Collective was over, 360Plus Foundation generously sponsored my trip to Kabul and my courses so I could take the essential step toward my dreams. Unfortunately, after two months of focused studying, COVID-related lockdowns forced me back to home. In a matter of weeks, the brutal Taliban took over, which for me and other Afghan women meant no schools, no outings -- just confinement.

My family's struggles also multiplied after the Taliban seized power. My older sister and her husband had worked closely with the previous government and thus had to flee the country due to threats and safety concerns. Some of my siblings lost their jobs and had to rely on my parents’ farm crops. At the bleakest times, 360Plus provided us with stipends for six months so we could stay warm and have enough food in the winter. My family and I will forever be thankful to 360Plus Foundation for bringing hope and comfort to our house in those trying times. 

However, I was still unable to go to school, although I prayed everyday for God to soften the Taliban’s heart so they would open my school again. Nevertheless, the Taliban only persisted in violating more of Afghan women’s rights and imposing even more brutal restrictions. Depressed and frustrated, I had no hope for them to let me learn again. I thus decided to apply for overseas boarding schools, as it was the only way I could continue my education. My teacher, Tatiana Kan, from 360Plus recommended a school in California. After successfully going through the rigorous admissions process, I won a two year scholarship which would allow me to finish my high school and be able to apply for university study. I felt a mix of extreme fulfillment, excitement and gratitude. The scholarship would become the key to countless dream opportunities for me, such as allowing me to finish high school and pursue college education. 

I knew I needed a male escort from my family in order to leave the country. But, at the time neither I nor any of my siblings owned passports. Generously sponsored by the 360Plus family, my brother and I applied for passports, which was no small feat. Next, the 360Plus team worked closely with the Indian embassy in Kabul and helped me and my brother to secure Indian emergency visas, which were the only types of visas granted to Afghan nationals back then. We also made medical appointments with a hospital in New Delhi so that the Taliban would let me leave the country.

360Plus hosted my brother and me in New Delhi for two weeks before I obtained my US F-1 visa in Chennai and flew to California just in time for school. My brother, having no other option, returned to Afghanistan. While I settled into school, 360Plus remained a constant support, ensuring I had what I needed. 

Receiving monthly stipends from 360Plus has been a lifeline, especially since my parents still struggle to cover basic expenses back home. These stipends allow me to afford essentials such as clothes, snacks, and outings with friends. Thanks to 360Plus, I also now have health insurance. Back home, I was not able to visit doctors or do health check ups easily. Now, I visit a dentist to fill cavities and take better care of my health overall. I am fully vaccinated. My family and I are very grateful for the support I have been getting. My parents always pass along their gratitude and prayers when I reassure them to not worry about me, as I have anything I need.

Passionate to help women who are still stuck under the brutal regime of the Taliban, I have launched a project to provide online English education for Afghan women. Together with friends from my boarding school, we organize book sales and concerts to fund these courses. Our aim is to help them access the internet, study English, and eventually take a proficiency test that could open doors to schools outside Afghanistan. The 360Plus Foundation has been crucial in my educational journey, motivating me to keep learning and supporting others in my country and beyond. It is heartbreaking that Afghanistan is the only place where women are not allowed to study, and I am determined to change that.

I am committed to my education and helping other women from Afghanistan do the same. Since I chose education and have been helping other Afghan women learn, I will not be safe if I return home. Nevertheless, I will keep fighting for women's rights and freedom in my country. I hope I can secretly visit my family in other countries once I get travel authorization. Thankfully, with the support of 360Plus, I have hired a lawyer to seek asylum in the US, where I can continue my fight against the Taliban.

The support from 360Plus Foundation has changed my life from rural subsistence farming to actively playing sports and engaging in countless educational programs. They have been helping me through the toughest times and opening doors I never thought possible. Now, being here in California, a safe and incredible place, I feel grateful for all their support, without which I would have never made it this far. Their unwavering help taught me so much and made me want to help others, especially other Afghan women facing brutal totalitarianism back home. By their continuous support, I will keep educating myself and fighting for education and freedom for everyone. 

Gratefully,

S