From Kabul to a degree abroad: supporting Afghan girls through IELTS preparation
- Francis Carlisle
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Here at Keenu, we are delighted to be working with Victory Afghanistan.
Victory Afghanistan is a great charity which helps girls in Afghanistan to study online, with a view to passing exams like IELTS and then studying abroad. They currently have over 1,200 students, aged 11 to 40, supported by 150 volunteers from 24 different countries.
My cofounder Niall and I (Francis) have attended a number of VA’s online events over the past few months, and we are constantly struck by the incredible mental fortitude of their students.
These are students who remember pre-2021 Afghanistan, when they could study in schools and could reasonably expect to pursue significant careers after graduating.
Today, they are forbidden from attending schools, are largely confined to their homes, and have to be careful about who knows that they continue their studies online. The United Nations and a number of international organizations have described the situation facing Afghan women and girls as a form of gender apartheid.
The work that the VA team is doing to support and educate these girls is truly inspiring to see.
We feel very honoured that Keenu can play a small part in helping the girls to prepare for their IELTS exam.
IELTS is not available in Afghanistan, so the girls have to travel across the Pakistan border to take the test. That is a journey that is risky at the best of times - and even more so given the situation there today.
That makes it even more crucial that the girls get their target IELTS score first time - as there may not be a second time.
For all of these students, achieving their IELTS certificate is essential because it allows them to apply for scholarships and study for bachelor’s degrees abroad.
Luckily, they are all extremely hard-working, talented and dedicated students, so they are making the most of online tools like Keenu, and we are confident that when they do make the trip across the border, they’ll pass IELTS with flying colours!
Working with an organisation like Victory Afghanistan is a great honour for us, and we hope to support their work long into the future.
