honoring sola

The Malalai Medal

Prior to the Taliban’s return in 2021, the month of March was always a memorable one for all schoolchildren in Afghanistan: the Afghan school year runs from March-December, and for students across the country, March was a time to reunite with old friends and meet new classmates.

For SOLA in Kabul, March was joyous, especially when our new class of 6th graders arrived on campus for the first time – but our first day of school in 2018 was unlike any in our history. As we were welcoming our new students, Shabana was called away to attend a ceremony with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and First Lady Rula Ghani. When she returned, she brought with her a remarkable honor.

Shabana, and SOLA, had been awarded the Malalai Medal. Named for a woman who is one of Afghanistan's national heroes, the medal is one of the nation's highest civilian honors and was given to Shabana in recognition of her achievement in the advancement of girls' education. It was a thrill for everyone at SOLA – but perhaps for our students most of all.