Life changed dramatically the week of August 16, 2021, for ten girls and a teacher from Afghanistan’s Girls’ Robotics Team. As Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, this group was rescued from Kabul, Afghanistan and arrived safely in Doha, Qatar. The team is part of the Digital Citizen Fund organization and are now referred to as the “Afghan Dreamers”. They initially became a sensation in 2017 when they attended a robotics competition in the US.
The part of robotics team that was rescued was comprised of ten girls ranging in age from 16-18. Unfortunately, there are other members of the team who as of August 24, 2021, were yet to be rescued.
Moving them out of the country safely required a tremendous effort by the government of Qatar and DCF. DCF board member Elizabeth Schaeffer Brown told the BBC that the girls were not “rescued”. She said: “The girls rescued themselves through all their hard work and bravery over the past several years.” She also said: “The flight out of Kabul was only the end of a journey in which safety was a concern.” A woman from Oklahoma, Allyson Reneau played an integral role in helping with the necessary paperwork.
This team is truly inspiring, and the girls have exhibited diligence and courage in pursuing their education and passion for robotics and engineering, while overcoming exceptional adversity. Last year the team created low-cost ventilators from car parts for patients suffering from Covid-19.
The girls are now free to pursue their education in Qatar or take advantage of multiple scholarship opportunities they’ve been offered at universities in the US. Thank you, Afghan Robotics Team, for showing us that education is power and for your example of how to pursue a passion while facing unimaginable resistance and challenges most of us will never know.
Images from NY Times
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