Eighteen-year-old Shamsia Alizada survived a deadly suicide-attack blast by ISIS on her academy two years ago. It killed more than 40 students and wounded numerous others. Scared, she briefly dropped out from Mawood Education Centre, but then went back with encouragement from her teachers. This deadly incident however couldn’t stop her from topping the university entrance exam in Afghanisthan out of more than 1.7 lakh students.
The daughter of a coal miner, Shamsia now dreams of becoming a doctor and serving her country and her people.
The Afghan teenager hadn’t imagined she would top the exam. She had earlier expected her former classmate Rahila, who was killed in the blast, to secure the honours, she told media outlet Etilaatroz in an interview.
Education of girls in Afghanistan
The Taliban Islamist militant group which held the government from 1997 to 2001 had barred girls from going to school in the country. Fears of Taliban returning still haunts most female students, but Shamsia is willing to suppress it to pursue her goals.
“I have some fears about the Taliban’s comeback … but I don’t want to lose my hope, because my dreams are bigger than my fear,” she said as per a Reuters interview.
According to UN agencies, less than 30% of women in Afghanistan are literate and 2.2 million girls are out of school. People fear that if Taliban remains in influential power, it could deteriorate women’s rights. The Afghan government is currently holding peace talks with Taliban.
BBC Journalist: “Will you treat an injured ISKP or Taliban fighter when you become a doctor?”
Shamsia: “Of course. Perhaps the terrorist change his mind, & understand that humans are not created to hurt one another but to help.” pic.twitter.com/iflL4QhdKl— Hamidullah (@HamidullahRezae) September 28, 2020
Beating all odds
Shamsia’s father works in a coal mine in the north; he had moved his family to the capital city of Kabul to give his daughter a better chance at education.
“It is my sense of responsibility towards my family that brought me to this position. It is my dream now to study medicine and serve my people,” she told Reuters.
Praise from dignitaries
Shamsia’s tenacity has turned her into a hero in her country. Education for women is heard-earned and praise goes to those who carry on in spite of the obstacles.
As the news of her courage and achievement spread, it has prompted congratulations from former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and foreign envoys including the US Charge D’affaires.
“Your brilliance and grit are undeniable, just as your accomplishments underscore how much progress Afghanistan has made over two decades,” US Charge D’affaires Ross Wilson wrote on Twitter.
I want to offer an enthusiastic congratulations to #Shamsia! Your brilliance and grit are undeniable, just as your accomplishments underscore how much progress #Afghanistan has made over two decades. Women’s education, inclusion, & representation are essential to peace. https://t.co/0vWckQ8sdm
— Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson (@USAmbKabul) September 25, 2020
Former President Hamid Karzai said that Shamsia’s success and those of the others who appeared for the exam was a sign of “hope for a bright future in Afghanistan”.
Read: How one man touched the lives of 72,000 people and put hundreds of kids back in school