From a rural Afghan village to Colonel’s University in New York: The Tale of Khadija Mons’s Tenacity

Deep in the highlands of central Afghanistan, in the Ghogha district of Jaghori, Ghazni Province, sits the little, remote, and forgotten town of Sarkhedira. a place where poverty has persisted for many generations. Khadija Munis was born here.

This is the story of a girl who walked from her home to her school for five hours every day. A girl who, in spite of the fact that most of her peers were not educated, stood up and fought. She journeyed to Cornell University in the United States from that remote village. In 1997, children’s lives in Jaghori’s Ghoghe district saw a radical transformation, especially for girls. A school called “Ghoghe Martyrs” was established in this area.

Girls were allowed to enter the classroom for the first time. Of the girls that attended school, just a small portion were able to continue their studies. Many were forced into early marriages, while many more gave up on their schooling due to poverty. Almost among the first girls to be allowed to attend school was Khadija. She was born two years after the school was established. But Khadija was lucky that her grandfather barred anyone from stopping her from continuing her studies, in addition to her own determination.