Strength in STEM

Thank you to all who have donated! We have reached $2390, almost 15% of the goal. Please continue spreading news of the Strength in STEM GoFundMe Campaign. Nora and Fatima are determined to make a difference. The following shares their inspiration. We all stand on the shoulders of others. It’s unusual for a teenager to be so acutely aware of it. Even more unusual is a teen who identifies her inspiration to be a poet who lived 800 years ago, Afghan-born Rumi (1207-1273) , It’s a terrible irony that all meaningful opportunity is banned for girls in a country with deep roots in beauty and wisdom. Nora and Fatima are fortunate to have parents who know education, human rights, and compassion matter. Their father’s example is that these things are even worth the threat of violence, a reality he and others have faced too often.  Early in my correspondence with Nora, she shared: “ In Afghanistan, we used to gather in the library of our house with students who lived with us and my uncles d...

First, thank you to all who’ve already donated and spread the word of Strength in STEM, a not-for-profit venture by and for Afghan girls. We’re at $820 or just over 5% of the goal. For those looking for a special gift, please consider donating on behalf of someone you love and tell them about the difference their gift will make.  These blogs will be as much an update on Strength in STEM as an introduction to Nora and Fatima, the venture’s determined leaders. They’re brilliant and feisty. Since connecting with Nora in late October 2022, I’ve learned about her childhood, her competitive streak, her passion for math and science, her maturity, and the courage with which she and her family has faced threat, escape, exile, humiliation, and obstacle after obstacle. I’ve also come to know Fatima, her passion for writing, her passionate pushback for unworthy tradition, her curiosity for global cultures, and her extroverted ability to make friends anywhere. This GoFundMe campaign launched o...

Donate today . Whether $10, $100, or more, all donations will help show what young females are capable of, despite grave injustice, with the world on their side. Nora Khorasani was ranked top of her grade 11 class when the Taliban seized power in 2021. Planning a career in math and science, she wanted to teach and transform a generation. She’s more determined than ever. And she needs your support to do so. Now 17 years old and living in exile, Nora and her younger sister Fatima are preparing to launch Strength in STEM, their not-for-profit venture to build a web-based source of learning and inspiration for Afghan girls living under threat in either Afghanistan, Iran, or Pakistan. Like hundreds of thousands of others, Nora and Fatima are young female Afghan refugees stripped of their right to formal education. Undaunted, they are learning in all ways possible, independently and through the not-for-profit  Classrooms Without Walls  (CWW), an online learning community led by volu...