Educating Afghan
Girls Worldwide
Remote learning for every Afghan girl, everywhere
Self-paced coursework in the palm of your hand. Students only need a smartphone and basic internet to access SOLAx-designed education from their own homes, all using WhatsApp, all completely free.
Who we are
SOLA, the world’s only boarding school for Afghan girls, is proud to offer SOLAx, an online education platform meticulously designed to deliver the Afghan curriculum, including ESL and other courses, in a digitized format transformed into engaging microlearning modules. SOLAx is accessible to every Afghan girl on Earth and available in the English, Dari, and Pashto languages.
In Afghanistan today, girls are forbidden from attending school past 6th grade. In the Afghan refugee diaspora, hundreds of thousands of girls struggle to find access to the classroom. Education is a human right, and with SOLAx, we bring this right within reach.
We have engaged members of the diaspora in creating compelling content for our platform, and SOLA girls have taken key leadership roles in developing our coursework.
Ultimately, SOLAx is by Afghans, for Afghans. We invite you to join us.
Our mission is to bring education to Afghan girls wherever they may be. Our vision is of a global network of sisterhood: a generation of compassionate and confident Afghan women with the leadership skills to rebuild Afghanistan and guide their homeland into a better future.
SOLAx Vision
How SOLAx works
Save one of our service numbers in your phone contacts and initiate a WhatsApp conversation. Send us a message and choose your preferred language of communication: English, Pashto, or Dari to kickstart your learning journey.
Sign up with us by entering basic information and begin accessing the various courses offered in our chatbot.
After successfully signing up, you can explore the list of courses available for a specific grade and proceed to enroll.
For enrolled courses, you can request fresh content, with the next day’s material delivered after receiving the current day’s content and waiting for a full day.
Assess and enhance your learning with stimulating and thought-provoking questions.
Upon successfully attempting all course questions and achieving the passing score, you can instantly receive certificates to validate your educational achievements.
Everything you need for learning with SOLAx is a smartphone, basic internet access, and WhatsApp. Our coursework is ready for you, and it’s completely free.
SOLAx in action
+1 2067102626 Instructions
Send a WhatsApp message to the SOLAx chatbot using one of the service numbers listed above to initiate your learning journey. You can also watch this video to see every step of the SOLAx educational experience.
The need for SOLAx
In Afghanistan in 2021, the number of girls openly attending secondary school was 1.1 million. In 2024, the number of girls openly attending secondary school is 0. The Taliban have raised their pursuit of gender inequality to the level of national policy. They know what educated girls are capable of. And so do we.
Our Journey
From a boarding school in Kabul to the forefront of a global movement of educated girls, follow the milestones to the creation of SOLAx.
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2016
SOLA opens its doors to its first class of 6th grade students in Kabul, becoming a full-time boarding school. -
2019
SOLA grows by enrolling a new class of 6th graders annually, and officially becomes a boarding high school with girls attending grades 6-9. -
2020
The coming of COVID creates an immediate need for online education. Faced with the struggle to reach Afghan girls in homes with poor online connectivity and limited tech infrastructure, the SOLA team begins exploring paths to improve remote learning. -
2021
SOLA departs Afghanistan upon the Taliban’s return, evacuating its entire student body of girls in grades pre-6 through 11. SOLA resettles in Rwanda and resumes its operations. -
2022
The Taliban decree that girls may not attend school past 6th grade and women may not attend universities. SOLA completes its 1st enrollment season in Rwanda, drawing new students from the Afghan diaspora. Nearly 200 students apply. -
2023
SOLA completes its 2nd enrollment season in Rwanda. Nearly 2,000 students apply for just 25 places in SOLA’s 6th grade class. -
2024
SOLAx is born.
Our impact
We intend to have immediate impact on the lives of thousands of Afghan girls and their families – but we aren’t stopping there. We intend to redefine what education means in the Afghan context, moving from a tradition of rote learning and memorization to a new model embracing critical thinking.
230+
Girls are part
of the SOLAx
21+
Countries have been
covered this far
62+
No. of courses
planned with SOLAx
35+
Certifications have been issued
Donate to
make a difference
Change the world with your contribution. Donate today to help us educate the Afghan women leaders of tomorrow.
Join the community
Join SOLAx on WhatApp Channels for news, updates, and more!
Frequently asked questions
Your quick guide to common queries and solutions
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SOLAx is not a replacement for or an equivalent to in-person, in-classroom education. It’s an alternative for girls whose educational lives are on pause, and maybe have been that way for years. It’s a light of hope and an initial step on a path that leads back to the classroom.
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The concept of SOLAx has been years in the making, but development accelerated dramatically upon the Taliban’s announcement, in 2022, that girls would not be allowed to attend school beyond 6th grade in Afghanistan. This announcement, coupled with SOLA’s extraordinary admissions response in 2023 (nearly 2,000 applicants for just 31 places), illustrated the intensity of the need and the breadth of the interest for the kinds of opportunities SOLAx can provide.
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Students can join us by texting one of our service numbers. For more, check out our “How it Works” page. If you are an educator and would like to share your expertise and enthusiasm with us, you can email us at [email protected].
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There are no subscription charges and no fees for any student using SOLAx. We do not charge tuition. SOLAx is free for our students, and it always will be.
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Yes. A student who is less than 18 years old and who has enrolled in SOLAx is welcome to apply to become a member of SOLA’s incoming class of students in Rwanda.
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It’s incredibly simple. Just click here to access the Certificate Authenticator page. Enter the student’s name and certificate number exactly as they appear on the certificate, then click “Verify.”
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SOLAx isn’t restricted to girls within Afghanistan; it’s for Afghan girls worldwide. Whether residing inside or outside Afghanistan, girls can join our program and benefit from our curriculum designed for grades 7-12.
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SOLAx is open to all, not just girls. Boys and non-traditional students are welcome to participate. Our curriculum caters to grades 7-12, allowing anyone interested to learn from it.
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No. Just hit the Donate button above, or follow this link, to give.
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