We are a non-profit organization that offers online educational opportunities, cultural exchange and mentorship to young women in Afghanistan with the aim of helping them trace either an academic or a professional path forward towards autonomy. Our program has two phases: in its initial phase, we aim to enhance English language skills, and in the second phase, we provide “path forward” skill-based courses and workshops with the goal of creating self- reliant women with a sense of agency.
In the Hila Initiative virtual community, teachers, conversation partners and students come together in purpose and hope.
42 young women, ages 18 to 34, living in Kabul, Herat or Mazâr-e Charîf. Most are former university students whose studies were abruptly interrupted when the Taliban took power. Young women who had been on their way to becoming engineers, doctors, psychologists, jurists, civil engineers, economists, dentists, financial analysts, nurses, school teachers, mathematicians, computer scientists.
Since the pandemic, education has fundamentally changed with an opening of barriers that previously existed between locations, languages and cultures. It is now possible to have a virtual classroom where trust, commitment, and learning create a true community. These communities enable enriching cultural exchanges between teachers and students. For instance, discussions around poetry and art allow students to find their voice and fight isolation in life which helps build their social and emotional skills so that they can connect with others.
Hila teachers and Conversation Partners grow their ability to understand others and Afghan culture, a beautifully rich and complex system where women show amazing strength and resilience, staying grounded and focused on what is truly important in life. Our program believes in family support which helps root our students in their educational pursuits.