Why SOLAx?

The need is immediate, the moment is now

The state of girls’ education in Afghanistan

No girls attending school past 6th grade. No women enrolling in colleges or universities. The Taliban’s ban on education begins at the onset of puberty, and this is not by accident. It is a calculated decision and a symptom of a deeper desire to elevate gender inequality to the level of national policy and to institutionalize male control over females.

The Taliban know what we know: educated girls become educated women, and educated women have agency.

Although schools in Afghanistan are off-limits to girls, the possibility for remote learning exists – yet, most tech-based services require strong internet connectivity and expensive hardware that many Afghan girls, especially those in rural provinces, cannot afford.

Enter SOLAx

SOLAx, our text-based remote learning platform was built with a thorough understanding of Afghanistan’s political and technological realities. It delivers self-paced education to Afghan girls within the safety of their homes, bypassing entirely the Taliban’s decree against attending school.

Why SOLAx will work

SOLAx doesn’t require the high internet speeds that have unfortunately reduced the effectiveness of other online schools operating in Afghanistan. We don’t make girls risk leaving home to attend underground schools. We don’t force fathers (the ultimate deciders for a family in the Afghan cultural context) to choose between educating their daughters and keeping them safe.

We reach girls inside their homes, using technology they already possess. They study, and thereby improve their lives and demonstrate to all male relatives that girls have inherent value as independent beings. Change starts at home, and spirals upward.