With deep sorrow, we share the news of the passing of Razia Jan, an Afghan American activist who championed girls’ right to education. She passed away on July 20 at her home in Los Angeles, according to The New York Times.
After the U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan, Razia returned to her homeland, first bringing supplies to orphanages and hospitals, and soon dedicating her life to ensuring Afghan girls could learn. In 2008, she founded the Zabuli Education Center through the Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, which today continues to serve more than 800 girls. She later established the Razia Jan Institute to train young women in midwifery and other vital skills.
Razia’s legacy lives on in the thousands of Afghan girls whose lives she transformed through education.