About the Child
Rizwana’s life began in one of the most remote villages of Nuristan, Afghanistan, where girls were denied education and treated as property. In 2023, she escaped a forced marriage and found refuge in a Shokofa safehouse in Kabul, living with 20 other girls and secretly attending school despite Taliban restrictions.
In 2024, Shokofa relocated her to Islamabad, Pakistan, where she now attends an international private school and excels in her studies. In her free time, she creates beautiful crochet sweaters, hats, and socks for the other girls—a small but powerful expression of her care and creativity.
Family Situation
Rizwana’s early life was marked by tragedy and loss. Her father, a drug addict, abandoned the family after divorcing her mother and later died in the crossfire of a battle between Taliban and government forces. Her mother was forcibly remarried and died of illness when Rizwana was only six years old.
After her mother’s passing, her grandmother briefly cared for her, but she too passed away. Custody then fell to Rizwana’s maternal uncle, a man influenced by ISIS and Taliban ideology. Following deep-rooted misogynistic traditions, he married off Rizwana’s sisters one by one in exchange for cattle. Rizwana narrowly escaped the same fate, finding refuge through Shokofa before she could be sold into marriage.
You have the opportunity to sponsor one or multiple Afghan girls from our orphanages. Your sponsorship provides vital financial support for their education, including tuition fees, and essential living expenses such as rent, food, healthcare, clothing, utilities, and more. To ensure continuous education and care, we kindly encourage sponsors to consider annual contributions.
As a sponsor, you can build a meaningful connection with your sponsored child through letters and video calls. You also have the option to visit the orphanage and meet her in person. We will keep you updated on her progress, education, daily life, and activities, ensuring you play an ongoing role in her journey toward a brighter and successful future.
If writing a check, please make it payable to “THE ZAANHA FUND”, and mail it to:
530E 76th St, Apt 27E, New York, NY 10221