My Story
As a PARSA Scout, she organized the construction of a library for a local school that lacked access to books, demonstrating her commitment to education and community service. Her parents, a businessman and a scientist, supported her dream of becoming a physician who would serve rural populations. However, Fifi's world was shattered when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan.
As a girl with relatives connected to the Western-backed government, Fifi was targeted for forced marriage, a tactic used by the Taliban to suppress women and consolidate their authority. Fifi’s father and other male relatives smuggled her out of the country to a safe house in Pakistan, while her immediate family remained in Kabul. Eventually, Fifi received a scholarship to attend the Emerson Waldorf School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. While grateful for this opportunity, she faces the challenges of adapting to a new academic system and learning a second language, all while grappling with the emotional toll of separation from her family.
Fifi is determined to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor, but she faces significant obstacles as a foreign student. She needs to secure scholarships to cover the entire cost of her education and navigate the complexities of the US visa system. Undeterred, Fifi focuses on what she can control, working towards becoming the first Afghan Scout to earn the BSA Eagle Scout award.