Refugees are people who have had to flee their homes because of fear of

persecution. The modern definition of a refugee was drafted in the UN's 1951
Convention relating to the status of refugees in response to mass persecutions and
displacements of the Second World War. Today, around half of the world's refugees
are children, and many must undergo dangerous journeys with uncertain outcomes.

Sahar Nahib recounts her childhood in Afghanistan, specifically her experiences as a

young girl in a patriarchal society. She discusses how Afghan women were not taken
seriously and their ideas were not considered. Despite this, her family, including her
father, who was a professor at the university, and her mother, who was an architect
and part of a women's rights organization, encouraged her to pursue her dreams and
education. However, when the communist regime fell and the Mujahideen came into
power, Afghanistan became a civil war, which eventually led to the Taliban taking
over the country. Despite the challenges faced by women in Afghanistan, Nahib
remains hopeful that one day, Afghani women will have the same opportunities as
men to pursue their dreams and live meaningful lives.
After Sahar Nahib talks about her childhood in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule.
Women were not allowed to go outside, were submissive, and could not attend
school. Her parents had to cover the windows so that nobody could see inside their
house and vice versa. Women were not allowed to go outside without male
supervision. Girls as young as nine were being forced into marriage with older men,
which was unacceptable to her father. He wanted his children to grow up in a society
where they could have their own possibilities and freedom. As a result, the family
fled to the Czech Republic, taking 13 days to reach their destination. They were
initially excited about the nature and the city, but eventually decided to stay in the
Czech Republic, leading to their arrival in a refugee camp.
Sahar Nahib's talk, she discusses her family's experiences as refugees and their
journey from a camp in the Czech Republic to the International School of Prague and
eventually to Grinnell College in the United States. While in Czech school, Sahar and
her family faced discrimination and lack of understanding from the community.
However, through hard work and determination, they were able to overcome these
obstacles and achieve their dreams. Sahar reflects on her own journey and
encourages others to ask what 9-year-old refugee girls are hoping for, and to work
towards making those dreams a reality