Inside di secret schools for Afghanistan

Women and girls for Afghanistan dey fight back and defy di Taliban goment as dem kontinu dia education for secret. Many of di secret schools dey founded by women and plenty of di staff na also women as dem don begin dey show face to provide both online and in-person classes to doz wey get mind to attend di schools.

BBC Afghan Sana Safi carry us enta inside several secret schools and into di hearts of doz wey be say despite di risk, dem no refuse to get education.

"I feel like say I dey steal education. I dey steal life."

Di sad words of one teenager for Afghanistan dey rent through di air as I sidon dey look my laptop for my London flat, wia I dey connected to di kind world wey dey hidden behind plenti veil secret.

"You fit stand stand for di back make I see di whole class," na wetin I ask di young woman wey dey hold di laptop for di oda end wia she dey help me wave di in-built camera round di room.

Dem show me a class wey dey full of at least 30 young women. Dem sit in different rows wia all of dem dey wear black, except for dia head scarfs wey get white and different pattern. Dia teacher wey also fully dress for black stand for di whiteboard. From di diagram wey she dey draw, I guess say na biology class dem dey.

As di soft hum of classroom chatter flood di virtual space, a hidden reality unfold for front of my eyes. No be only say I know about dis secret class wey dem dey hold for an undisclosed location for Afghanistan. I dey witness di strong mind wey di pipo get against di Taliban rulers, who wey be say for di past year and half dem don ban secondary and university education for women and girls.

My heart-wrenching rollercoaster

My journey into di hidden world of Afghanistan secret school na wetin we fit describe as heart-wrenching rollercoaster. As I dey connected wit diz educators and students through a digital window enta dia live, e remind me of my own past wen I dey Kandahar, for south of di kontri.

As a young girl wey dem born for Afghanistan, dem force me to attend school for secret. As I dey tok to di teacher, I find myself say dark and difficult memories dey flash through me. Until I manage to ask her- how long she don dey work for di school?

"I don dey here for six months wey I be teacher." she tok.

But neva without fear.

"My brother dey often say, "please comot for dat school." Nobody sabi wetin we dey do, but im dey fear say one day Taliban go come. But na my parent encourage me to stay and teach my sisters. Becos I share dia pain. My university don also dey closed. So I wan help di girls here to study."

Di classroom dey beautified wit traditional wooden window frames, pictures wey dey wall. Dis one be like contrast to my own memories from di mid 1990s.

Send children back as dem reach school gates

Before, as di Taliban rise enter power, wen dem bin dey emerge from one brutal war wey happun overnight, dem comot education from all di women and girls.

As long as I dey live, I no go ever forget di first day wey I try go school wen we dey live under Taliban rule.

Na seven years old I dey wen one woman meet me for di gate, and she say no girl or woman dey allowed to come to school.

I dey wear black uniform wey my mother make wit yellow embroidered belt- dat one sef no dey allowed. I rememba say I dey so dissapointed wen di woman tell me say I no dey allowed to enter becos say I dey happy well-well about my uniform.

But my mama no give up, dem begin search for secret school.

Dem find one couple- a husband and wife- wey don convert dia house to several classrooms.

Evri morning my mother go take me go vegetable market before I go disappear from di back enter di secret school wey dem use mud do.

We learn to read and write from any kain dem bring. But di effort of di couple no live long.

As soon as di Taliban find out, dem raid our schools and jail my teachers for 15 days. Upon dia release, di teachers run comot for Afghanistan.

Five years later inside di aftermath of di 9/11 attack, as US and allied forces overcome di Taliban regime, I dey among di millions of teenagers wey reclaim our right to get education.

But wen di Taliban return to power in August 2021, once again women and girls no get access to education again.

Dis time around, girls dey allowed to attend attend junior schools. However secondary education, college and universities dey off-limit.

E dey cruel and twisted say di fate and dream of diz young women no dey balance as dia potentials dey hanging without freedom.

At di heart of Afghanistan secret school networks, na fearless educators wey dey forced to work in di shadows dey lead am.

Pashtana Durrani na activist wey dey lead di charge in setting up many kontri underground schools, since di most recent ban dey in force.

Her umbrella organisation, Learn Afghanistan get 230 students currently and all of dem dey over di age of 12.

'Power over my destiny'

Di risk wey dey involved big well-well, according to wetin she tok. But not to act, she believe say dat one no be option.

"If I no get my own education, Dem go don marry me off. My sister go don also marry off. My brother go dey work for one child labour some wia. But becos of my education, I become di mama of my family. And becos of dat, I get power over my destiny."

As I dey look di effort of Pashtana come to life through my laptop screen, her students speak sharp sharp English for me. Dem tell me say dem study evri tin from biology each chemistry, physics reach philosophy, to practical subjects such as graphic design.

Several young women describe dia ambitions of becoming diplomats, doctors and engineers.

Yet, as I dey listen, I dey reminded of di challenges of dis effort. Di fear of being discovered and di school shutdown come become big concern. But na so diz young pipo dey determine to learn and grow.

Di position of di Taliban ontop di new education no dey permanent. Dem say dem dey work to create a "safe environment" and bring "necessary changes to di curriculum." But we neva know wetin dat one mean, or wen, if at all, dem go lift di ban.

Through di course of dis journey, I dey left wit di emotions- hope, frustration, admiration and sadness.

Di fight for girl education for Afghanistan dey far from over, but di determination of diz individual na real call for strength.

As one pupil tell me: "We go kontinu to dey resist. Maybe one day light go dey for di end of di tunnel."

As one pesin tell me me: "We go kontinu to resist. Maybe one day light go dey at di end of di tunnel."