Fahima, 9, is from the Daman district of Kandahar province. She has five sisters and four brothers, and all her brothers are enrolled in school. Her father is a mechanic and she comes from a very conservative family that does not allow the girls to go out in fear of being harassed, which often occurs when girls leave the home.
This, along with cultural barriers, meant the girls in Fahima’s family were not enrolled in school. Through community events conducted by Islamic Relief, Fahima’s father realized the importance of his daughter’s education and found that a community-based education (CBE) class was taking place close enough to their home that he felt it was safe for Fahima to attend.
He enrolled Fahima and she is thriving. She is currently studying at the second grade level and is able to write and read. She is outgoing and is confident among her peers.
Before she was enrolled, Fahima was not even familiar with alphabets and numbers. She is now able to write about various issues and she has learned Pashto spelling as well.
Fahima’s teacher is very impressed with how far the little girl has come.