In this episode of The Afghan Times Podcast, we welcome Sinah Sadat, a determined young woman from Afghanistan, as she shares her journey from student to refugee.
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“They took away our schools, our classrooms, our futures. But they could never take away our hope,” says Sinah Sadat, a passionate advocate for women’s education.
Born and raised in Afghanistan, Sinah was a 10th-grade student when the Taliban took control, stripping her and countless other women of their right to education.
One day, I was in school, surrounded by classmates. The next, the doors were shut, and our dreams were left outside.
With the sudden loss of her education, Sinah struggled with despair. The sight of an empty schoolyard, once filled with young women in black-and-white uniforms, was unbearable.
I would walk past my school, kiss its doors, and look inside, hoping it was just a bad dream.
Months of isolation and mental health struggles followed, but with the unwavering support of her family and friends, she found a way forward. She turned to online education, an option far from perfect but a crucial source of hope.
Two years later, Sinah’s family made the difficult decision to leave Afghanistan for a neighbouring country. Without the means for legal visas, they endured a dangerous journey across mountains and deserts, walking through the night to avoid arrest.
We spent 12 hours hiding in the freezing cold. My mother and brothers collapsed from exhaustion, but we had no choice but to keep going.
But arriving in the neighbouring country was not the fresh start she had imagined. The barriers to education remained. Schools required foreigner stamps from the Afghan embassy, and even if she completed her studies, she wouldn’t receive an official degree.
It felt like the same cycle of exclusion, just in a different country.
Refusing to let bureaucracy define her future, Sinah recommitted to online learning. Now, from the neighbouring country, she studies alongside 23 peers, serving as their student council president.
We lift each other up. We remind each other that our education is worth fighting for.
Sinah dreams of one day becoming Afghanistan’s Minister of Education, determined to rebuild the system that was stolen from her generation.
I see a future where no girl is forced to beg for an education. Where classrooms are filled with eager minds, not empty chairs.
Her message to Afghan women—and to every woman denied the right to learn—is unwavering:
School is not the only path to knowledge. If you have the will to learn, you will find a way. No matter how dark the world seems, resilience will lead you to the light.
From the mountains of Afghanistan to the refugee camps of the neighbouring country, from makeshift online classrooms to a future of leadership—Sinah Sadat’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance.
You can chase your dreams from a cave in the mountains to a modern apartment in a city. Never stop learning. Never stop fighting.
Open Mic is The Afghan Times podcast, where Afghan women share their stories in their own voices, on their own terms—open to every Afghan woman.
