LocationsMy journey: One Opportunity Changed Everything
August 27, 2026
Author: Marwa Wasit, Participant of the EU-funded UNDP project on empowering Afghan women
My name is Marwa Wasit. I was born in 2002 and grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, where I completed my school education. I am originally from Panjshir Province. Growing up as an Afghan girl taught me from an early age that dreams require courage, resilience, and the unwavering support of the people who believe in you.
My family's journey has shaped the person I am today.
In 2004, when I was only two years old, my father's life changed forever. After years of conflict in Afghanistan, he worked behind the scenes in Afghanistan's film industry, doing everything he could to earn a living and support our family. During that time, he was involved in a tragic accident that destroyed the vision in one eye and severely injured the other. Because of the difficult circumstances in Afghanistan, he was unable to receive the treatment he needed. Over the years, the vision in his injured eye gradually deteriorated until he lost almost all his sight and could only sense light.
Although I was too young to remember the accident itself, I grew up seeing its impact on our daily lives. My father's loss of vision changed our family's future, but it never changed his belief in ours.
Much of the responsibility for supporting our family fell on my mother's shoulders. Life became more difficult, yet neither of my parents ever allowed hardship to define us. Together, they worked tirelessly to make sure my sisters and I could continue learning. They believed that knowledge, determination, and strong values were gifts that no one could ever take away.
Their sacrifices became the foundation of my dreams.
Growing up in Kabul gave me opportunities that many girls in other parts of Afghanistan did not have, but even there, studying abroad was uncommon for young women. Financial challenges, social expectations, and uncertainty often stood in the way. Still, my parents never discouraged my ambitions. Instead, they encouraged me to believe that my future could be different.
After graduating from high school, I planned to continue my studies immediately. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the national university entrance examination. When I finally took the exam, I was disappointed that I was not accepted into the programme I had hoped to study.
For a short time, I wondered whether my dream was slipping away.
Instead of giving up, I decided to prepare myself for the next opportunity. I worked in my sister's small family business, MomCookies, while using the income I earned to pay for English courses. Every class brought me closer to a future that gradually began to feel possible. Looking back, learning English became one of the most important investments I ever made in myself.
With my improved English skills and the encouragement of my family—especially my older sister Somaya, who was already studying under UNDP project for Afghan women, I decided to apply for a scholarship to study in Kazakhstan.
Then came August 2021.
I was invited to interview for the scholarship. It felt like the final step toward achieving a dream I had worked so hard for. However, the interview was scheduled on the very day that Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.
Everything changed overnight.
Like millions of Afghans, my family and I were overwhelmed by fear, uncertainty, and confusion. In the middle of those extraordinary events, I missed my interview. I thought I had lost the opportunity I had worked so hard for.
Yet I refused to let that be the end of my story.
I emailed the university's admissions team, explained what had happened, and asked if I could be given another chance. To my great relief, they understood my circumstances and agreed to reschedule my interview.
When I learned that I had been awarded a scholarship to pursue a bachelor's degree in Management at KBTU in Kazakhstan, it felt as though a door had opened at a time when so many others were closing.
Receiving the scholarship, however, was only the beginning.
The visa process took much longer than expected, which meant I had to complete my first semester online from Afghanistan. Those months remain some of the most challenging of my academic journey.
Electricity was unreliable, internet access was unstable, and every online class required patience and determination. I still remember sitting in a dark room during power outages, using my sister's laptop to attend university classes. Sometimes the internet connection would disappear in the middle of a lecture, and I worried constantly about missing important lessons.
Despite everything, I kept showing up.
Whenever I felt discouraged, I reminded myself why I had started this journey. It was not only for me but also for my parents, who had sacrificed so much, and for every opportunity they had worked so hard to give me.
After months of waiting, I finally received my visa.
In December 2021, I boarded an airplane for the first time in my life.
It was also my first time leaving Afghanistan and traveling alone.
I was excited, but I was equally frightened. I did not know what to expect in a new country, speaking a different language and living thousands of kilometers away from my family.
My parents' emotions were deeply mixed. They were heartbroken to see their young daughter leave home, travel alone for the first time, and begin a new life in a foreign country. At the same time, they were filled with hope because they knew this opportunity could give me a future that might no longer be possible in Afghanistan.
Having lived through the previous Taliban regime, they understood what it meant for girls to lose access to education, university, and the opportunity to work.
As history began to repeat itself, they knew that remaining in Afghanistan could mean watching my dreams come to an end. Sending me abroad was one of the hardest decisions they ever made, but they believed it was the best chance for me to continue my studies and build the future they had always hoped for.
Before I left, they reminded me that I was brave and strong. They told me they believed in me and trusted me to build the life I had always dreamed of.
Those words became my source of strength throughout my journey.
When I arrived in Kazakhstan, everything was unfamiliar. I had to adapt to a new culture, a different language, and a completely new educational environment while living away from my family for the first time. There were days when I felt lonely, homesick, and overwhelmed, but every challenge reminded me why I had come.
Knowing that my older sister, Somaya, was already in Kazakhstan gave both my parents and me comfort as I began this new chapter. During my first year, having her nearby made the transition much easier. Later, after she moved from Kazakhstan, I continued my journey on my own, living in the university dormitory. That experience taught me independence, resilience, and how to build a life far from home.
Two years later in 2023, another opportunity changed my life once again. I was awarded a scholarship through the UNDP-supported TVET in Finance programme under the Afghan Women project. While my university scholarship covered my tuition fees, it was not enough to fully support my living expenses. The UNDP scholarship enabled me to continue my studies with greater financial stability while developing new professional skills.
Balancing two demanding academic programmes was one of the greatest challenges I had faced. There were days filled with assignments, deadlines, examinations, and long hours of studying. At times, I questioned whether I could manage everything. But every time I felt exhausted, I remembered my parents' sacrifices, the encouragement of my sisters, and the opportunities I believed Allah had given me. I felt a responsibility to make the most of those opportunities, believing that every step I took could inspire other Afghan girls and show what is possible when they are given the chance to learn and succeed. Those thoughts reminded me of why I could never give up.
In 2025, I proudly graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management from KBTU while also completing the TVET Finance programme.
Soon after graduating, another unexpected opportunity arrived. I joined UNICEF Kazakhstan as an International UN Volunteer serving as an Advocacy and Communication Officer.
For me, this role represents far more than professional experience, it represents hope.
Only a few years earlier, I had been attending online classes from a dark room during power outages, wondering whether my dreams would ever become reality.
Today, I have the privilege of contributing to an organization that works to improve the lives of children and young people around the world. When I received the opportunity to join UNICEF, I immediately thought of my parents and everything they had sacrificed to help me reach this point.
My journey has taught me that opportunities have the power to transform lives. Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you, one opportunity that arrives at the right moment, and the determination to keep moving forward despite uncertainty.
Looking back, I see that every challenge prepared me for the next chapter of my life. My parents taught me resilience and sacrifice. My sisters taught me confidence and perseverance. Every obstacle strengthened my belief that difficult circumstances should never define a person's future.
As an Afghan woman, I know my story is only one among many. Countless Afghan girls continue to dream of learning, building careers, and contributing to their communities despite the barriers they face. I hope my journey reminds them that even when circumstances seem impossible, hope can survive, determination can create new paths, and a single opportunity can change the course of a life.
Today, I carry my family's hopes with me in everything I do. Their sacrifices are the foundation of every achievement I have reached, and they continue to inspire me every day.
My journey is still unfolding, but one lesson remains constant: hope grows stronger when it is shared. I am living proof that resilience, the support of family, and one life-changing opportunity can transform not only a person's future but also the way they see the world.
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