Afghan Girls Find Hope ⁤in Satellite TV ⁤Education Amid Taliban Ban

Every day after breakfast, 16-year-old ⁣Afghan student Prina Muradi‍ sits down to watch TV, ⁣but not to watch a film or ​cartoon – she’s there to‍ study math, science, ​and literature. She hasn’t been​ to school since 2021, when the Taliban took control of the country ⁢and banned girls from ⁣receiving a secondary education.

But now she is racing to catch up, thanks‌ to a satellite TV program​ broadcasting the entire Afghan curriculum from France to girls who have ⁤been shut out of ⁢school. “Hope has ⁣been rekindled,” Muradi said from her home⁢ in⁤ the capital, Kabul. “This is a war against ignorance.”

Begum TV: A Beacon⁢ of Hope

Begum TV is⁤ the‍ brainchild of Afghan-Swiss entrepreneur Hamida ‍Aman, founder⁣ of the Begum Organization for⁢ Women⁣ (BOW), a non-profit organization that ‍supports Afghan girls and women. Last ‌November, ‌BOW launched the⁤ Begum Academy, a ⁢digital platform with around 8,500 videos covering Afghanistan’s secondary ​education ​curriculum ⁢in Dari and Pashto, the country’s ⁤official languages.

But most Afghan girls ​don’t have access to the internet, so Aman‌ launched “Begum TV” in March to reach a wider audience. ⁣”Television is the most powerful ​media in Afghanistan,” Aman told⁤ the‌ Thomson ⁢Reuters Foundation. “We are not interested in⁣ intervening ⁣in politics or overthrowing⁤ the system. Our mission is to help our sisters⁤ who are suffering every day and‌ to ​support their children with their education.”

Afghanistan’s Education Crisis

Afghanistan is the only country in the world that ‌excludes girls from schooling. The Taliban are ⁣also reinstating some of the⁣ harsh restrictions they imposed⁤ when⁣ they first ‍took power in‌ 1996, including banning ‍women from university education and most professions and‌ restricting their freedom of movement.

New laws banning women from speaking or showing their faces in public have sparked fresh international outrage. According to the⁣ United Nations ‌Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the exclusion of girls‌ from secondary ​education ⁣already ⁤affects some 1.4 million girls, a number that grows​ for every girl who completes primary school each ⁤year.

Reaching a Wider Audience

Begum ⁢TV is⁢ funded by several ​international organizations and private⁤ charitable foundations and is broadcast from Paris by 10 Afghan-origin, France-based female journalists and⁢ presenters. In the evening, the channel​ broadcasts entertainment programs such ⁣as Bollywood dramas, ⁢as well as music and ‌talk shows.

The talk ​shows will ⁢cover‍ a range⁤ of​ topics, from health issues to women’s rights, including ‍sensitive issues such as domestic violence. ‍”That’s the ​freedom​ that comes with‍ satellite​ television,” Aman said. “Media in Afghanistan is currently under ​heavy censorship, but satellite ‍TV ​allows⁤ us to get around the censors.”

Expanding Education Opportunities

Begum Academy​ plans to launch an app in December this year ​that will⁢ allow students to ​access lessons offline and easily interact with teachers. It also conducts exams to allow talented ⁢students to‍ join ‍online ⁢universities.

In response to the demands of parents and students, ⁣preparations are also underway ⁤for primary school ⁤classes. Although primary-age girls can⁤ still attend​ school, UNESCO⁣ says the quality of education ​is declining and many children, both⁢ boys ⁣and girls, are dropping out ⁣of school.

A Brighter Future

Muradi, who lives⁣ in Kabul,‌ said many girls are forced to miss ‍out on schooling ⁤and end up married in their​ mid-teens ​–‌ her‍ best friend​ was married off at 15. But Muradi has ‌other plans. “I had to ‍continue my studies no matter​ what,” Muradi said, “because I was‍ determined ‌to show the world that Afghan girls and women can achieve great‍ things.”