Rabia Haidari

Growing up in Afghanistan, Rabia witnessed a world that told girls they didn’t belong in classrooms. But she refused to accept that fate. 

With just a mobile phone and a dream, she founded Education RASA – an online, volunteer-led platform that stands for Resilience, Access, Sustainability, and Support. In just over a year, it has educated more than 500 girls in English, science, computer skills, leadership, and even German and Turkish. Rabia personally created 100 video lessons, and grew the organisation into a team of 36 volunteers across seven departments, all dedicated to empowering Afghan girls through learning.

Rabia also serves as the Lead for Student Leadership at Teach For Afghanistan, where she mentors students and supports school communities in finding safe spaces to learn and thrive. Despite no formal schooling since ninth grade, she has earned a 60% scholarship from LEO School in London for her A-Level studies and completed certified courses from top institutions via FutureLearn and other platforms.

Creativity and social media are central to her advocacy. Rabia’s YouTube channel teaches girls to use basic digital tools, and her Instagram page – with 38,000+ followers – shares study tips, self-improvement content, and motivation for youth worldwide. She even launched a local art gallery, turning local artistic expression into a catalyst for confidence and leadership.

Rabia's reach is global. She has mentored refugee and immigrant students across continents, helped girls in Afghanistan access global MOOCs, and worked on international education campaigns through the Teach For All network. Her work was amplified further through her role at TEDxShare Naw, where she learned the power of storytelling and now aims to organise TEDx events to spotlight the dreams of Afghan youth.

Rabia has also weathered severe floods, technological poverty, and political instability. During these times, she shared a single mobile device with her family to continue studying and teaching. Today, she’s financially independent, owns her own phone and laptop, and supports others on their journey to self-reliance.

If awarded the Global Student Prize, Rabia plans to use the opportunity to create a meaningful impact in her community by building a Skill Development and Learning Centre in her region, aimed at empowering local youth through education and vocational training. She also intends to launch a Higher Education Fellowship Fund to support underserved Afghan students in pursuing their academic aspirations. Additionally, Rabia seeks to advance digital literacy and provide leadership training to equip young people with essential 21st-century skills. To amplify marginalised voices, she will organise TEDx events and develop storytelling platforms that offer a space for silenced individuals to share their experiences and inspire change.