Afghan Girls share their stories through art

SALISBURY, Md. — A new program is giving Afghan girls a second chance at education — and a pop-up art exhibit at Salisbury University is helping them share their stories through art.

When the Afghan government collapsed in August 2021, girls were banned from attending school beyond the seventh grade. Dr. Roderic Brame, a former high school teacher, felt compelled to act after hearing from a former student.

“She said, ‘The girls want to learn modern technologies,’ and I asked, ‘What girls?’ She said, ‘The Afghan girls,’” Brame recalled.

In response, Brame launched the Afghan Girls Project in 2022. The program functions much like an “underground school,” allowing girls from Afghanistan to study subjects such as coding, engineering, and robotics.

But beyond technology, the girls are also expressing themselves creatively. Their artwork — now on display at Salisbury University — reflects both their hopes and the hardships they’ve endured.

Three sisters — Rahila, Alia, and Zeena Zeerak — share a passion for art, using it to tell their stories.

Rahila, 13, said the program has taught her teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. “If one girl or a woman learns something, she can change her family. If many girls learn something, they can change their nations,” Rahila said.

Alia, 12, says her family is her greatest inspiration. “The support of family, living in generation, support of peoples,” Alia said.

Eleven-year-old Zeena has big plans. “In the future, I want to be an artist. In another future, I want to be an engineer. I’d love to be an engineer,” Zeena said.

For these young girls, learning is more than a lesson — it’s a form of freedom. And through their art, their voices shine.