Nigina's story

Nigina is the eldest daughter of a family of four children. She came to Pakistan as a refugee, at the age of 12. Nigina was the most brilliant student of
her class and dreamed of becoming a teacher herself, just like her mother. But under the Taliban regime her school was turned into an army base for
the “Soldiers of God.” “Women were not allowed to work, so my mother lost her job. My father was forced to grow a beard and he was looking ugly. We had no money and
nothing to eat.My mother said that we had to find a way out of this situation. She asked the neighbours to send their children to our home, so she could teach them. I was studying with them too.
We were able to survive through the fees these children paid.

But one morning, suddenly some harmful Talibs who were covering their faces with turbans entered our home, without permission.They started beating my father. My father’s head got seriously injured and he was bleeding. His left hand was broken. He was taken away and imprisoned. My mother, who was slapped with a cable, was unconscious too.We were shouting for help but nobody came to help us, because they feared the Taliban.We were so afraid. They warned us that if we kept teaching these students we would be hanged to death. We sold
everything we had so we could rent a bus to Pakistan. Early morning one day we started our journey to Pakistan. One year later, my father was able to find us, after his escape and a journey
through Iran and Turkey.” Today, thanks to the RET, it is possible for her to dream again and to make her dream come true. She is one of the best students of her school, and she encourages her little sisters and other girls in the community to attend too.

Now, she dreams of learning computer science and, one day, of becoming a doctor.