Launch of the Begum Academy mobile app
March 22, 2025 marked the start of the new school year in Afghanistan: for the third consecutive year, girls beyond grade 6 have been excluded from the education system.
Faced with this reality, Begum Academy has reinforced its commitment by launching, at the start of this school year, a mobile application fully dedicated to learning. Accessible for free, it allows students to follow lessons even without an internet connection. It offers simplified navigation, educational videos, interactive quizzes, and gamification elements designed to encourage engagement. Additionally, a team of 15 teachers take turns answering students' questions day and night, providing continuous support and personalized guidance for each student.
In less than three weeks, over 5,000 students, two-thirds of whom are girls, had already downloaded the mobile app. This figure reflects their determination to continue their education despite the restrictions and highlights the importance of this platform as a concrete solution.
The development of the app required significant technical and logistical efforts. Its continuous improvement remains a challenge, but the Begum Academy team remains fully committed to providing education to those who are currently deprived of it.
Deployment of offline solutions in Afghanistan
In the last Newsletter, we mentioned a new partnership with the association Ed4Free, which develops boxes (EdBox) and SD cards that function as autonomous Wi-Fi networks, allowing users to connect and access content without the need for an internet connection. We would like to warmly thank Thierry Coilhac, who is behind these essential tools, for his commitment and invaluable expertise.
With the invaluable help of a local partner, we were able to launch the first tests in Afghanistan across several educational centers. Our 8,000 educational videos were integrated into the tools and then distributed. Among these centers: one hosting 300 girls, including some with disabilities, equipped with SD cards; another with 1,100 students using the EdBox; and a center with 424 girls.
The first question posed by these centers was, "Do we need the internet?", a clear reflection of the reality on the ground, where the network is almost non-existent in several regions. These tools therefore represent a real advancement, making educational content accessible to completely isolated areas.
The distribution continues in other centers, and the feedback has been very encouraging.
Conference at UNESCO in support of Afghan women and girls
On March 7, 2025, a conference organized by UNESCO took place in support of women and girls in Afghanistan, bringing together international partners, experts, and Afghan representatives. This major event helped refocus attention on the crucial issue of access to education for Afghan girls, amid the dramatic regression of their rights.
Hamida Aman had the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Begum Organization for Women during the conference, giving a voice to Afghan women and emphasizing the importance of continuing to support them. Her speech highlighted the urgency of taking action and the need to not make invisible those who, despite the obstacles, continue to fight for their future.
Celebration of the first anniversary of the anthology Resistance / Renaissance at Fnac Bercy
On Saturday, April 5, 2025, FNAC Bercy hosted an event to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of the collective book Resistance / Renaissance. Personalities who contributed to the book, such as Alexia Laroche-Joubert, Julie Gayet, Sophia Aram, Patrick Cohen, Bernard de La Villardière, Marc Antoine Coulon, and Hamida Aman, were present to engage with the audience and sign copies of the book, with proceeds from the sales going to support the association.
The Resistance / Renaissance collection is still available online here.
