The streets of Kabul were quiet, almost too quiet. Amina stood in front of her small house, her hand
gripping the cold, iron gate. The wind picked up, tugging at her long, dark hair, but she didn't move.
She stared out at the city, wondering what was happening beyond the walls of her home. The news
was everywhere. The school where she had spent the last few years, dreaming of becoming a
doctor, had shut its doors once again. The windows in the building now stood dark and empty,
mocking her.
Amina had always been an excellent student, a beacon of hope for her family. Every evening, as the
sun set behind the hills, she would sit at her desk, surrounded by piles of textbooks, scribbling notes
with a fervor that had always filled her heart with purpose. Her dream wasn't just her own; it
belonged to her mother, her father, and every woman in her family who had been forced to give up
their dreams. But now, as the cold winds swept through the alleyways, the future she had imagined
felt as far away as the distant stars.
She tried to remain strong, but the fear gnawed at her. The oppressive silence that had taken over
her world wasn't just from the quiet streets-it came from within her heart. Each day that passed
without the promise of returning to school made her feel smaller, more invisible.
Amina's mother, Fatima, had always told her, "In a world where they want to silence you, speak
louder." Fatima was a quiet woman, not one to boast or raise her voice in protest. But she had lived
a life of hardship and still found strength in her faith, her family, and her determination. She had
never allowed the world to define her, and Amina had always admired her for that.
But even Fatima's encouraging words didn't seem to make the walls around Amina shrink. The
world outside her home felt more hostile than it ever had before.Amina's father, Mohammad, came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We will find a
way," he said, his voice steady but laced with the uncertainty that weighed on all of them. "You'll still
be a doctor. No matter what."
His words were meant to reassure, but they only added to her anxiety. Was it even possible
anymore? Could dreams survive in a place where hope seemed to be fading? Where every girl's
future was growing murkier by the day?
Her father was the kind of man who believed in the power of education, who had watched Amina
grow with pride as she excelled in her studies, who had hoped to see her one day walk across a
stage, diploma in hand, on the way to medical school. He knew the value of an educated
woman-one who could change not only her own life but the lives of those around her.
But now, that future seemed impossible.
Amina turned and looked at her father, her eyes searching his face for answers. But he had none.
They both knew that the road ahead was unclear, filled with obstacles they hadn't even begun to
understand.
She wanted to scream, to lash out at the injustice, but instead, she turned back to the street,
watching the children who still ran through the alleys. They, too, had no schools to attend, no
education to offer them a better tomorrow.
The weight of her situation pressed down on her chest, and she closed her eyes, letting the wind
carry away her thoughts, if only for a moment. The uncertainty was like a storm cloud-constantly
looming, waiting to strike.And yet, deep down, there was something else. A spark, almost a whisper in her heart.
She wasn't alone. She knew that.
Across the country, in every corner of Afghanistan, there were girls like her-girls who refused to be
silenced, girls whose voices would not be extinguished by the winds of fear. They had dreams, too,
and they would not let them fade away without a fight.
Amina clenched her fists, feeling a surge of determination flood her. Her heart pounded as if to
remind her that no matter how dark things seemed, the light of education, the hope for a future,
could never be completely extinguished.
But would it be enough? Would the courage of one girl, of one family, be enough to overcome the
forces that sought to stifle their dreams?
For the first time, Amina didn't have an answer. She only had the gnawing feeling that time was
running out, that every day that passed without change brought them closer to a future that was
becoming less and less possible.
Her mother's words echoed in her mind: In a world where they want to silence you, speak louder.
Could she speak loud enough to make a difference? Would she be able to fight for the education
she had always dreamed of? Or would she be forced to silence her dreams, as so many girls before
her had done?
Amina didn't know.She only knew that tomorrow, she would wake up and fight again. She would continue to fight for
her future and for the futures of every girl who had been told she didn't deserve a chance.
Because even in the darkest moments, there was always one thing that could never be taken from
her. Her voice.