Behishta, Afghanistan

After completing two Bachelor's in Business Administration and Natural Resources Management, I became a part of one of the first impact investing platforms in Afghanistan. We assisted startups that had a positive social and/or environmental impact. It was exciting to work on something you knew would have an impact, something out of the ordinary.

To sharpen my knowledge of sustainable business, I aimed to do my masters abroad. However, everything changed overnight. I received a message saying, "Don’t come to office tomorrow; the situation is not good." The following day, the government collapsed. We had to leave. It was very difficult to go through the Taliban checkpoint, and the chaos at the Kabul Airport. We left everything we had, including our home and family, only with a backpack and spent the following 7 months in a refugee camp.

The Imagine Fellowship is a rebirth for me. It made me believe that there is always hope, even in the darkest moments. I am committed to giving back what life has given me. I will do my best to make the most of this opportunity to be the one who helps people and makes this world a better place to live.