The mass exodus sparked by the August 2021 Taliban takeover compelled Afghanistan’s new rulers to issue a call for Afghans to stay and help rebuild the country. But after a year of Taliban rule, the economy is in tatters, confidence has been shattered, and Afghanistan’s best and brightest are not returning – they’re fleeing in droves.
A few days before her interview with a US university admissions officer, Huma Usyan went to her local internet service provider in Kabul to try to ensure her connection would not be cut during the much-anticipated online meeting.
The internet was both a lifeline and a source of stress for the Afghan teenager since the August 15, 2021, Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
When the new rulers banned secondary schools for Afghan girls, Usyan turned to the internet in a desperate bid to continue her studies. In an interview with FRANCE 24 in October 2021, the grade-topping schoolgirl recounted the challenges of her online self-education endeavour.
>> Read more: Online education is the only hope for Afghan schoolgirl, but it’s a slog
After several months of online studying – aided by volunteers, including an English-language teacher, galvanised by the Afghan schoolgirl’s exceptional motivation – Usyan finally managed to reach the interview stage for a US university.
But the internet connection for the critical January 8 interview was out of the…
