Fifth Blog Post

Shabana Basij-Rasikh is the founder of the first female boarding school in Afghanistan. She is
the cofounder of SOLA, an international campaign for women's education.  She's a
Middlebury college graduate.  But this isn't where she started. She began her education by
disguising herself as a boy and sneaking to a secret school every day.  She and almost a 
hundred other girls risked their lives every day to go to school and lived with the fear that the 
Taliban may be following them or find out where they lived.  Shabana was most influenced by
her parents, who believed that education was the most important possession you could possibly
own.  Her father used to tell her that "You can lose everything, your money, your house, your
belongings. But they can never take what's in your mind".  Shabana talks about how she lived
in danger for her whole childhood, but she believes her life would have continued that way, and
been even more dangerous, had she not gotten an education.
Shabana's story further proves the importance of girl's education.  Educated women know
more about reproductive health and safety, and boost the economy.  There's no reason not
to educate girls and women, and, proven by Shabana, no matter what laws or restrictions
are in place, girls will get an education no matter what.