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♪ Community Stories theme song ♪ 

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♪♪

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-Being a refugee and starting from zero

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is not an easy thing.

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♪♪

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Many, many years, Afghan women

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and Afghan girls

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left behind back in Afghanistan

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and we do not want here to be

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left behind.

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♪♪ 

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Women are not created to 
only stay home:

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they have their own rights,

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they have their own hopes,

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they have their own wishes,

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and they have to be
as educated as men.

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♪♪ 

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-Afghan Advantage is a
program that uses

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literacy, self-reliance, 

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life skills, and
leadership opportunities

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to prepare women

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with a literacy bridge

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to access other resources

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in the community,

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and to be able to make choices

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with their education,

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their capacity to work, and navigate

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a new community.

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♪♪

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Most of our leadership,

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teachers, and board members

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are all educated Afghan women

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who had this experience

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in their home country,

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who did education,

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who did women's rights,

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who did women empowerment,

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and worked all around

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Afghanistan, and saw the barriers,

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and also saw the strengths
of Afghan women

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in their own country.

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And then as they came here, 

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that is what kind of informs our work.

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[students sounding out the letter o] 
- Oh, oh.

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-October.

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- Afghan women
are really strong.

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- Eh, elephant, eh, elephant.

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-In Afghanistan

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there are so many problems,

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and they are not able
to be educated

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because of war, or cultural problems,

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or poverty.

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-Ca, ca, cap.

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- Nose.
- Nose.

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-They do not have knowledge to read,

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to write, even in their own language,

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and once they move to the United States

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with that language barrier,

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they are not able to do anything

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by their own.

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[classroom chatter]

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I moved to United States in 2019.

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Me and Sarah meet each other

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and we became friends

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together and very nice friends

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that support other women, other refugees

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with some basic needs.

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-We found that women

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without basic literacy

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were not as successful

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in trying to take English classes,

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or enroll in other kinds of programs

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that other organizations offer.

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[classroom chatter]

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We heard

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time and time again

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as we worked in the community

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that there are many women

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who might even have the bravery

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to start class for the first time,

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but because of not having that base,

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they were kind of spinning their wheels

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and were not successful

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and able to move on.

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[bus engines rumble]

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They needed help

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for transportation independence,

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for the ability

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to navigate the community

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independently for shopping, interfacing

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with their children's schools, or

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finding a job,

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and so we looked to preparing

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specific modules of literacy

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that would prepare women

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with what they needed

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to be able to

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access those programs.

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[instructor speaking to class]

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By going through our four

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coordinated modules,

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our students are

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then able to do things

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functionally with their literacy

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they're able to read,

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they're able to write at a basic level,

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they understand money,

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they understand time,

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they understand dates,

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they understand their own bodies

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and their own selves, their own families,

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and navigating with addresses,

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which is a very, very complex issue.

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There’s really thousands of Afghan women

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who are in need of this service.

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Washington is a welcoming state

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for our Afghan allies,

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and since 2018, there's been about 25,000

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Afghans who have come here,

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and with the 78%

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rate of women who have not learned

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to read and write in their
own language,

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that leaves

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a lot of women needing

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this specific bridge to literacy

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that isn't really offered

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effectively elsewhere

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in a format designed especially
for them.

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[phone ringing]

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200 women

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have participated in our program,

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which is very exciting;

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in just a little over two years.

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We have, often, people saying,

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‘in ten weeks

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we learned more than we did,

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you know,

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in a whole year of classes elsewhere.’

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We've spoken

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with, even, professors

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in local community college programs

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who came to us and said,

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‘what are you doing

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that is making your students progress

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and become so successful?

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We have ESL level zero

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and we're not able to accomplish,

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you know, over a longer period of time

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with more resources,

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what you're able to do

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in a shorter period of time.’

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And so our secret comes from our

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‘Side by Side,’ or ‘Shoulder to Shoulder,’

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‘Shona ba Shona’ program

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where we team teach all of our classes

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with a native English speaker

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and a native Dari or Pashto speaker,

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and so because of that,

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we are able to talk

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specifically to our students.

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First, introduce

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information and classes in English,

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and then secondly, go into deeper detail

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with our teachers

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who can ask and answer questions

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in the native language.

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♪♪

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- It's been two years

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years since I came here,

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and it's been six months

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since I joined Afghan Advantage class.

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First of all, it was very bad time for me

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because I even cannot say ‘hi, hello’

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♪♪

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They teach me how to read,

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how I can introduce myself,

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and even

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how I can communicate with other people.

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♪♪

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I feel like I'm in a dream

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I do not feel like I'm

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living in another country, or live abroad

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I feel like I'm in my own country,

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and I'm learning something new.

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-When I see
new students,

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believe me, I'm

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always thinking like that,

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that if I were instead of her,

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because being illiterate is,

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I know, it's, it's very,
very difficult,

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and when I was here in the US,

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I was faced with so many challenges,

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besides my English was good,

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so as a woman,

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we have to understand them

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and we have to see

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what are their needs

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and how we improve them to go out,

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or be a part of the society,

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and a part of a community.

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[book pages rustling]

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- A big challenge

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is our students

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don't have transportation independence.

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[book pages rustling]

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Afghanistan is not a place

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where it is common

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at all for women to drive,

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and so even our most educated

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teachers

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all even need to learn how to drive

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when they come here,

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so we do have those in-person times

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where people connect,

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but we decided to have classes online

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with purpose

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so that it is

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accessible for everyone,

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and we do it on their phones.

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- Sixteenth ...

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- Some moms are
shy to turn on their cameras

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when we are on Zoom,

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when our teachers are teaching,

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so this is some,

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some challenges, both on teacher

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and for the students

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because they are showing,

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and that's why

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we are saying that ‘no, please,

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you can on your camera, and be on time

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on the class, and do not do anything

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during the class that you have,

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like cooking.’

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[speaking to students] 
-I live in Auburn ...

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-I think that people underestimate

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Afghan women a lot.

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[speaking to students] 
I live in Seattle, Washington...

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-Even women

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who did not have an opportunity to learn

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to read and write and pursue education

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in their own countries,

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we find all the time are brilliant.

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- Red.

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- Red, mmm, hmmm.

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What color?

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- Yellow.
- Yellow.

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- Yellow.

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- It's just a lack of opportunity,

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and once given that opportunity,

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they have a voracious appetite

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for learning

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and for communicating with one another.

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[laughing] 
-Thanks.

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- There's a lot of humor,

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there's a lot of joy,

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there's a lot of curiosity,

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there's really a lot of

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bravery and strength.

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♪♪

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[laughing]

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[laughing]

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-Good morning

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- [audience responds]
Good morning

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♪♪

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My name is Nadia Ahmadi

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I’m from Afghanistan

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[applause]

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[bus engine hums]

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-One of our number one goals

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is for someone to feel confident

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and a sense of belonging in the community,

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because that is a key for success

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for anything,

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whether you’re going to do education,

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whether you're going to get a job,

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but also if you're just going to

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get to know your neighbors

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and feel confident

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in the world around you.

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[bus engine rumbles]

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We see, at Afghan Advantage,

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a 75% increase in participation

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and confidence to try new things,

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and a lot of that

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is because of having a friend.

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[bus engine rumbles]

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They're able to have that time

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to talk and communicate,

289
00:11:17,576 --> 00:11:19,578
and that confidence they have

290
00:11:19,578 --> 00:11:21,580
of all of them having skills,

291
00:11:21,580 --> 00:11:24,183
we've seen women
who go on to

292
00:11:24,183 --> 00:11:25,251
then take the bus

293
00:11:25,251 --> 00:11:26,786
and enroll in a class together.

294
00:11:26,786 --> 00:11:28,387
So that's what we're hoping for,

295
00:11:28,387 --> 00:11:31,057
is that women then decide,

296
00:11:31,057 --> 00:11:32,692
‘hey, let's do this together,’

297
00:11:32,692 --> 00:11:35,261
‘let's try going to the library together,’

298
00:11:35,261 --> 00:11:37,063
‘let's try taking a class together,’

299
00:11:37,063 --> 00:11:39,031
‘let's go shopping, let's go to the park’

300
00:11:39,031 --> 00:11:40,166
If they have a question,

301
00:11:40,166 --> 00:11:41,367
yes, they could ask their teacher,

302
00:11:41,367 --> 00:11:42,334
but they might be able to ask

303
00:11:42,334 --> 00:11:43,769
their neighbor or their friend.

304
00:11:44,503 --> 00:11:52,411
[light rail hums]

305
00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:55,681
We see women over the course of

306
00:11:55,681 --> 00:11:58,217
going through multiple modules

307
00:11:58,217 --> 00:11:58,918
and being there

308
00:11:58,918 --> 00:12:00,086
and becoming student leaders,

309
00:12:00,086 --> 00:12:01,020
that they go out into

310
00:12:01,020 --> 00:12:02,521
the community together,

311
00:12:02,521 --> 00:12:03,422
so it's really nice to

312
00:12:03,422 --> 00:12:05,024
also have Afghan womens’

313
00:12:05,024 --> 00:12:06,859
voices in the conversation

314
00:12:06,859 --> 00:12:07,960
out there

315
00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:09,895
that they are representing themselves

316
00:12:09,895 --> 00:12:11,530
instead of someone else

317
00:12:11,530 --> 00:12:12,431
speaking for them.

318
00:12:12,598 --> 00:12:14,433
♪♪

319
00:12:14,433 --> 00:12:17,570
- I came here, my English was okay,

320
00:12:18,037 --> 00:12:20,139
I joined English classes. 

321
00:12:20,206 --> 00:12:23,109
[train bell chiming]

322
00:12:23,109 --> 00:12:24,610
♪♪

323
00:12:25,044 --> 00:12:26,679
Highland College was

324
00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,982
30 minutes away by walk from my home,

325
00:12:29,982 --> 00:12:30,983
and I didn't

326
00:12:30,983 --> 00:12:32,651
know how to use the bus,

327
00:12:32,651 --> 00:12:34,820
so I was walking all the way

328
00:12:34,820 --> 00:12:36,222
30 minutes every day

329
00:12:36,222 --> 00:12:38,557
from my home to college,

330
00:12:38,557 --> 00:12:39,959
and I was pregnant,

331
00:12:39,959 --> 00:12:41,761
I was seven months pregnant.

332
00:12:41,927 --> 00:12:43,429
♪♪

333
00:12:43,996 --> 00:12:45,097
After some time,

334
00:12:45,097 --> 00:12:46,732
some of my friends were there,

335
00:12:46,732 --> 00:12:48,534
they told me that, you know,

336
00:12:48,534 --> 00:12:50,603
‘it's easy to use the bus,

337
00:12:50,603 --> 00:12:51,670
you can buy tickets.’

338
00:12:51,737 --> 00:12:53,773
♪♪

339
00:12:53,773 --> 00:12:54,940
I used the bus,

340
00:12:54,940 --> 00:12:58,177
that 30 minutes just got five minutes for me.

341
00:12:58,511 --> 00:13:01,447
♪♪

342
00:13:02,381 --> 00:13:03,849
Today we

343
00:13:03,849 --> 00:13:06,318
took some students to the bus ride

344
00:13:06,685 --> 00:13:09,655
and came to Downtown Seattle.

345
00:13:09,955 --> 00:13:11,457
♪♪

346
00:13:11,924 --> 00:13:13,259
It feels great

347
00:13:13,259 --> 00:13:14,860
when you are helping others,

348
00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:17,963
especially when they are your own people.

349
00:13:17,963 --> 00:13:19,331
You feel great,

350
00:13:19,331 --> 00:13:20,266
you feel awesome

351
00:13:20,266 --> 00:13:21,767
when they are independent,

352
00:13:21,767 --> 00:13:23,536
when they are by their own,

353
00:13:23,536 --> 00:13:25,204
they can do whatever they want

354
00:13:25,204 --> 00:13:27,306
You feel really happy for them.

355
00:13:27,506 --> 00:13:31,944
♪♪

356
00:13:32,444 --> 00:13:33,612
When one of the ladies

357
00:13:33,612 --> 00:13:34,480
learns something,

358
00:13:34,914 --> 00:13:36,782
she will help the next one,

359
00:13:36,782 --> 00:13:37,917
then the next one will help

360
00:13:37,917 --> 00:13:38,651
the other one.

361
00:13:38,651 --> 00:13:39,919
♪♪

362
00:13:39,919 --> 00:13:40,686
-In Afghanistan

363
00:13:40,686 --> 00:13:42,188
they don't have any opportunity,

364
00:13:42,188 --> 00:13:43,856
and here, there is opportunity,

365
00:13:43,856 --> 00:13:44,790
but no language,

366
00:13:45,424 --> 00:13:47,326
and we just want to remove this wall

367
00:13:47,326 --> 00:13:48,961
between them and outside.

368
00:13:49,061 --> 00:13:50,329
♪♪

369
00:13:50,830 --> 00:13:52,464
I feel we are a bridge

370
00:13:52,464 --> 00:13:55,634
to connect our students to new community

371
00:13:55,634 --> 00:13:58,637
as someone who can speak English and Dari

372
00:13:59,205 --> 00:14:00,606
and this connection,

373
00:14:00,606 --> 00:14:03,309
this ability helped me

374
00:14:03,309 --> 00:14:04,009
to find

375
00:14:04,009 --> 00:14:05,811
more connection with Afghan people

376
00:14:05,811 --> 00:14:07,980
and also with people of America,

377
00:14:08,414 --> 00:14:09,715
and also to be

378
00:14:10,282 --> 00:14:11,050
kind of a bridge

379
00:14:11,050 --> 00:14:12,084
to connect these two

380
00:14:12,084 --> 00:14:13,686
people with each other.

381
00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:20,726
♪♪ 

382
00:14:22,528 --> 00:14:23,996
She is Fahima Qayoumi,

383
00:14:23,996 --> 00:14:26,565
she is one of our great students.

384
00:14:27,399 --> 00:14:31,036
[speaking in Dari]

385
00:14:31,604 --> 00:14:33,939
So she wants to say in Dari,

386
00:14:33,939 --> 00:14:35,774
and then I can translate.

387
00:14:35,908 --> 00:14:37,176
♪♪ 

388
00:14:48,053 --> 00:14:49,555
♪♪

389
00:15:03,235 --> 00:15:04,336
♪♪

390
00:15:11,210 --> 00:15:13,045
♪♪ 

391
00:15:37,102 --> 00:15:39,538
- We see each of these

392
00:15:39,538 --> 00:15:42,041
trailblazing Afghan women as a leader,

393
00:15:42,041 --> 00:15:43,309
a leader of their family,

394
00:15:43,309 --> 00:15:45,144
a leader of their own learning,

395
00:15:45,144 --> 00:15:47,379
and being able to speak publicly,

396
00:15:47,379 --> 00:15:48,247
and even advocate

397
00:15:48,247 --> 00:15:49,515
for their own education

398
00:15:49,515 --> 00:15:50,649
or their own program.

399
00:15:52,418 --> 00:15:55,454
I think it's really important to support

400
00:15:55,454 --> 00:15:56,922
learning for all women

401
00:15:56,922 --> 00:15:59,325
Education is a human right,

402
00:15:59,325 --> 00:16:01,894
and our students have the same

403
00:16:01,894 --> 00:16:03,362
potential and capacity

404
00:16:03,362 --> 00:16:04,863
as any human being.

405
00:16:04,863 --> 00:16:05,931
- Thank you so much for your

406
00:16:05,931 --> 00:16:07,666
organization, your hard work...

407
00:16:07,666 --> 00:16:09,435
- We have women who have never had

408
00:16:09,435 --> 00:16:10,836
this opportunity before,

409
00:16:10,836 --> 00:16:12,604
and they

410
00:16:12,938 --> 00:16:15,641
are excited and deserve
that opportunity

411
00:16:15,641 --> 00:16:17,643
to be able to communicate

412
00:16:17,643 --> 00:16:19,244
and to be able to navigate the world

413
00:16:19,244 --> 00:16:20,279
safely around them,

414
00:16:20,279 --> 00:16:22,247
and to be able to read and access

415
00:16:22,247 --> 00:16:23,816
information and resources,

416
00:16:23,816 --> 00:16:26,085
things that we might take for granted.

417
00:16:26,085 --> 00:16:27,086
♪♪

418
00:16:27,086 --> 00:16:28,020
- Perfect

419
00:16:28,020 --> 00:16:28,620
[high five, clap]

420
00:16:28,620 --> 00:16:29,488
- We've had someone say

421
00:16:29,488 --> 00:16:31,824
‘it's like going from blindness to sight’

422
00:16:31,824 --> 00:16:33,425
Literacy changes everything.

423
00:16:33,425 --> 00:16:33,959
- Yes!

424
00:16:33,959 --> 00:16:35,961
- And we see that every day.

425
00:16:35,961 --> 00:16:38,097
[students speaking]  
We are awesome.

426
00:16:38,097 --> 00:16:38,831
[applause]

427
00:16:38,831 --> 00:16:40,099
- Some of our students

428
00:16:40,099 --> 00:16:40,966
have gone on and are

429
00:16:40,966 --> 00:16:42,768
taking community college classes,

430
00:16:42,768 --> 00:16:43,869
have gotten a job,

431
00:16:43,869 --> 00:16:45,938
some have taken their citizenship test,

432
00:16:45,938 --> 00:16:47,239
have gotten their driver's license.

433
00:16:47,239 --> 00:16:48,374
It’s really exciting

434
00:16:48,374 --> 00:16:50,042
to see where they go.

435
00:16:50,042 --> 00:16:51,410
But, we think it's really,

436
00:16:51,410 --> 00:16:52,511
really, successful

437
00:16:52,511 --> 00:16:54,980
if you have become a very successful

438
00:16:54,980 --> 00:16:55,914
stay at home mom,

439
00:16:55,914 --> 00:16:57,950
being someone who's in their own home,

440
00:16:57,950 --> 00:16:59,651
can make their own appointments,

441
00:16:59,651 --> 00:17:00,652
can navigate

442
00:17:00,652 --> 00:17:01,286
and interact

443
00:17:01,286 --> 00:17:02,354
with their children's school,

444
00:17:02,354 --> 00:17:03,055
go to the store,

445
00:17:03,055 --> 00:17:03,956
go to the doctor,

446
00:17:03,956 --> 00:17:05,224
and do that confidently

447
00:17:05,224 --> 00:17:06,158
in their own neighborhood,

448
00:17:06,158 --> 00:17:07,159
and with their own children,

449
00:17:07,159 --> 00:17:08,660
and that is success too.

450
00:17:08,660 --> 00:17:09,895
So success doesn't

451
00:17:09,895 --> 00:17:11,930
have to be that you've gone to college,

452
00:17:11,930 --> 00:17:13,665
success doesn't have to be

453
00:17:13,665 --> 00:17:14,566
that you got a job,

454
00:17:14,566 --> 00:17:16,035
success doesn't have to

455
00:17:16,035 --> 00:17:18,237
look like the same thing for everyone,

456
00:17:18,737 --> 00:17:19,972
but all of our students

457
00:17:19,972 --> 00:17:21,340
are very successful.

458
00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,008
- Thank you

459
00:17:23,008 --> 00:17:26,412
[applause]

460
00:17:26,412 --> 00:17:27,713
- It's really exciting

461
00:17:27,713 --> 00:17:29,581
to see someone

462
00:17:29,581 --> 00:17:32,851
feel so comfortable and
so confident with their own skills,

463
00:17:32,851 --> 00:17:34,253
that they don't need you anymore.

464
00:17:34,253 --> 00:17:36,622
Like, that is like the best feeling ever.

465
00:17:36,622 --> 00:17:38,257
♪♪

466
00:17:38,257 --> 00:17:39,425
Being a friend,

467
00:17:39,425 --> 00:17:40,325
you know, being a colleague,

468
00:17:40,325 --> 00:17:41,226
being a support,

469
00:17:41,226 --> 00:17:41,894
being a cheerleader,

470
00:17:41,894 --> 00:17:43,629
saying like, ‘yes, it's great to hear,

471
00:17:43,629 --> 00:17:44,530
Oh, what are you doing?’

472
00:17:44,530 --> 00:17:45,364
That's wonderful,

473
00:17:45,364 --> 00:17:47,766
but what is so exciting is to see

474
00:17:48,367 --> 00:17:49,368
that you're not needed.

475
00:17:49,368 --> 00:17:51,070
You've graduated, you've moved on.

476
00:17:51,403 --> 00:17:53,238
♪♪

477
00:17:53,338 --> 00:17:55,641
It's like when you watch a bird flying

478
00:17:55,641 --> 00:17:57,076
or when you see an airplane

479
00:17:57,076 --> 00:17:58,110
taking off to the airport,

480
00:17:58,110 --> 00:17:59,511
to just see them flying,

481
00:17:59,511 --> 00:18:00,112
and it gets

482
00:18:00,779 --> 00:18:01,847
further and further away,

483
00:18:01,847 --> 00:18:02,981
and a smaller and smaller dot,

484
00:18:02,981 --> 00:18:04,516
so you just know that they're out there

485
00:18:04,516 --> 00:18:05,617
doing their own thing.

486
00:18:05,818 --> 00:18:07,553
♪♪

487
00:18:08,420 --> 00:18:09,388
It’s very exhilarating

488
00:18:09,388 --> 00:18:10,556
to see somebody fly.

489
00:18:10,889 --> 00:18:13,826
♪♪ 

490
00:18:13,826 --> 00:18:16,595
♪♪

491
00:18:20,933 --> 00:19:03,442
♪ Community Stories theme song ♪ 

492
00:19:06,778 --> 00:19:10,782
♪♪