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The Global Robotics Competition, held in the United States in 2017, was an opportunity for the team to show the world what so many in their own country doubted – that girls can accomplish anything.
And that’s what they accomplished, winning a “courageous achievement” award given to teams that persevere under difficult circumstances. Although they did not rank among the best teams in the world in the overall score, they came away proud and, most importantly, with worldwide recognition.
It was this recognition that helped the girls flee Afghanistan a few months ago, when the Taliban reappeared.
“The Taliban were taking over neighboring villages and provinces, so we decided to leave Afghanistan,” said Kawsar Roshan, one of the team members. “At that time, our families wouldn’t even allow us to leave home for any reason, not even to go to class.”
They left with an older relative as a guardian and made the difficult journey from the western Afghan city of Herat to the capital of Kabul, leaving their homes in July.
There they managed to secure one of the last commercial flights from Kabul to Islamabad, Pakistan.
It was in Pakistan that a plan began to form that eventually led them to a country thousands of miles away: Mexico.
With the help of private funding from various humanitarian aid groups, they traveled from Pakistan to Doha, Qatar, where, following an invitation from the Mexican government, the group boarded a commercial flight, s ‘stopping in Frankfurt, Germany before landing in Mexico City. .
The government allowed the girls, all aged 17 or 18, to stay for at least six months, with the option of extending their stay.
Some of the team spoke to CNN in a hotel conference room, preferring not to talk about where they are staying in the city for security reasons.
Rightly, some of the first thoughts they shared were about their country, criticizing the cruelty of the Taliban regime.
“The rule of their government is nothing but a mockery, an insult to Islam,” said Fatemah Qaderyan, an original member of the team. “Islam is the religion of kindness. We call not only on the United States, but on the entire community, but the entire international community to eradicate the Taliban generation from Afghanistan.”
They know the United States has limited options in this regard after its withdrawal in August. They also know how lucky they were to get away with it.
“It was really difficult, you know, leaving our loved ones in Afghanistan,” said Saghar Salehi, another member of the team. “But we are happy that today we are safe not only because of ourselves, but here we can be the voice of thousands of girls who want to be safe in Afghanistan and who want to continue their education and achieve their dreams. . ”
It is a diminishing reality for the girls of this country. In the weeks and months since the Taliban took power, their actions have reaffirmed a return to a society where women are treated as utterly unequal to men.
Still, the team has a message for those who remain.
“My message to my generation is please don’t give up hope,” Roshan said. “I know it is difficult because I am also an Afghan girl, and I understand you perfectly. But please don’t lose your mind, there is always light in the darkness and make your dream come true. and follow your dream and believe that one day your dream will come true, because I have been through this.
Despite the difficult circumstances of the past few months, every young woman is looking ahead and hopes to go to college next year somewhere in the United States. Unsurprisingly, they will each pursue careers in STEM fields.
In the long run, they have all said that they hope to one day be able to return to an Afghanistan free from the Taliban and the repression they represent.
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