Rahela Trust
Rahela Trust is an Afghan-led feminist organisation, embedded in the Afghan diaspora in the UK whose mission is to provide scholarships, mentorship and access to local and global professional networks to disadvantaged and talented Afghan women from rural areas. Afghan women's rights activist Rahela Sidiqi founded Rahela Trust to improve the situation for women in Afghanistan due to the continued systematic discrimination of women at both the familial and societal levels.
The Circle is proud to partner with The Rahela Trust on ‘The Diaspora Changemaker Networks’ project. This pioneering project for women in rural areas of Afghanistan and beyond will give them access to a wide-ranging network of mentors across the Afghan diaspora globally and within Afghanistan The project will bolster feminist networks, and support leadership and professional development at a critical time when other routes to education and development are severely restricted.
Rahela Trust’s long-term aims are to expand networks of educated women to contribute towards Afghanistan’s positive and progressive development, engage the diaspora and allies and influence the international community to support women and girls’ education. We are delighted to be partnering with them and continuing our long-standing support of Afghan women and girls.
By growing a community of educated young women committed to improving the lives of women in Afghanistan, Rahela Trust envisages a society where women’s rights are respected. Where women are fully involved in the social, political, and economic aspects of life.
AIM AND STRATGIC GOALS:
- Providing scholarships to disadvantaged and talented women, from and in rural Afghanistan
- Supporting scholars through mentorship and networking
- Raising awareness and engaging the Afghan diaspora in the development of Afghanistan
Find out more about the work Rahela Trust do:
Rahela Trust Impact
Amina Omid, Rahela Trust Alumna
I am Amina Omid, an Afghan journalist, I’ve worked as a writer, researcher, and presenter for the last five years. At the beginning of 2017, I was in charge of working on women’s issues at Nimrokh Media. I published many articles from a female perspective. Later on, I opened my own media outlet, which is Hamasa-e-Tagher, which means Epic Change. It was a weekly newspaper that spread love and hopes to people throughout Afghanistan’s nine provinces. I worked hard to create a platform for women, to raise their voices.
When I was in High School, I came to understand how crucial it is to promote women’s rights and have a thorough understanding of gender issues. Hence, I voluntarily created a corporation at that time with a human rights organization.
After school, the first time, when I moved to Kabul, I was by myself, a stranger in the new city, and I had horrible economic hardships every day. Notwithstanding my frustration, I kept working toward my objectives. I studied International Relations at Gawharshad University and received a journalism certificate from Jahan-e-Noor University. While studying I was known as “Amina hundred” among students at Gawharshad University since I was the only one who received a perfect score three semesters in a row.
Rahela Trust helped me with full financial support up till my graduation. With Rahela Trust, I learned to be a voice in the silence and a light in the darkness.
When the Taliban took over all of Afghanistan they seized control of the Hamasa-e-Tagher weekly media office, which is in the Ghor province of Afghanistan, where the Taliban continue to hold sway. They use it as an army guest house.
Secondly, they searched two times my media office in Kabul and the last time they were so cruel. They came to my house as well and finally with the help of FPU, I moved to Islamabad Pakistan.
Now I am on a temporary journalistic program in Kosovo hosted by the Government of Kosovo and the Association of Journalists of Kosovo.
How can you support the Rahela Trust?
We are thrilled to partner with The Circle
The Circle and Rahela Trust share the belief that when women are given confidence, opportunities and access to resources, incredible, positive, change can be achieved. As a small charity, we are eager to learn from The Circle's expertise and bring that knowledge to our evolving work. Together, we're confident we can create an equitable future for the women and people of Afghanistan, and we are honoured to have The Circle as an ally in this important mission.
