'The school is like a light for me:' The secret classrooms giving Afghan girls a chance to learn des

Source: CNN

‘The school is like a light for me:’ The secret classrooms giving Afghan girls a chance to learn despite Taliban rules

By Zahid Mahmood and Salma Abdelaziz, CNN. Video by Julie Zink
Updated 5:43 AM EDT, Thu October 5, 2023

(CNN) — Parasto Hakim was startled by a knock at the front gates.

She scanned her classroom for a quick headcount – all the girls were already in attendance. It could only be the Taliban.

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Hakim operates SRAK, a clandestine network of schools, which educates around 400 girls across eight Afghan provinces with the help of 150 brave teachers and staff. CNN is not using the 25-year-old’s real name, or the names of the female teachers and students we interviewed for this story to protect their safety.

CNN was granted access to film inside one of SRAK’S underground classrooms on the condition the location of the school and the identity of the students and staff remain hidden for their safety.

Broken promises

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Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/05/asia/afghanistan-girls-hidden-schools-taliban-intl-cmd/index.html