A Conversation With
Aqeela Asifi talks about the shift
in perception on girls’ education
in order for all girls to be
educated?
Social and cultural issues are factors.
Many people are still enslaved to
cultural values of old. They believe
that if their ancestors did not believe
in supporting something, this was for
a wise reason. You have to be tactful
when it comes to the social cultural
issues of others. Girls’ education is
still considered to be taboo by some
people. They believe that it will bring a
bad name to the family.
Another factor is poor economic
conditions. Families may not be able
to afford education even if education
is free. The priority is to ensure that
the family is fed first. When you think
about the needs of a family, priority
will be given to other things. Education
requires having the right resources,
so that learning continues at home.
Resources cost money and people will
always attend to their basic needs first.
Is there a shift in perception
with girls’ education that is
happening now?
I
n 2015, the Varkey Foundation
launched the Global Teacher
Prize to highlight and celebrate
outstanding teachers across the
globe.
This year, the ten finalists came from
several different countries including
Pakistan, Palestine, the United States
of America, the UK, Finland, Australia,
Japan and India.
Being included in the top ten of the
Global Teacher Prize was a humbling
experience for each of these
outstanding teachers.
Aqeela Asifi was one of this year’s
finalists. Originally from Afghanistan,
she was educated in Kandahar and
trained as a teacher before the Taliban
took over in 1992. When she arrived
at a refugee at Kot Chandana camp
in Pakistan, there were no schools
in operation in the local area. She
borrowed a tent and despite negative
attitudes and resistance, she created a
place where girls could be educated.
With no money for resources, she
stitched together pieces of cloth with
handwritten text to tent walls and
wrote books by hand at night.
Today, there are nine schools in the
camp with many female teachers and
over 1500 students including nine
hundred girls.
Some of Aqueela’s students have gone
on to become doctors, engineers,
government officials and teachers in
Afghanistan.
Aqueela shared with Teach UAE
Magazine her insight on the
importance of educating girls.
What are two key challenges
that need to be overcome
Yes, there is a slow change that is
happening. We have to be patient.
Twenty-five years ago, I could never
imagine that I would have over a
thousand girls in school. Many years
ago, girls would have been engaged
when they were babies and married
by the age of 12 or 13. Today, girls
are able to say if they agree with the
choice for a husband that their family
has made. This is a huge change. Now,
families are more supportive. Child
engagements have become a thing of
the past.
Aqeela was presented with the
UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award
in 2015. She continues to work with
students at the Kot Chandana refugee
camp, Punjab in Pakistan. As one
of the finalists in the top ten of the
Global Teacher Prize, she has joined
a prestigious class of outstanding
teachers who are changing the world,
one child at a time; one lesson at a
time.
Aqeela Asifi is a top ten finalist of the Global
Teacher Prize 2016.
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May - Jun 2016
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