The Mentor Connecting Afghan Students to Opportunities Abroad
As restrictions reshape life under the Taliban and visa bans limit opportunities overseas, the Sigma Career Center provides pathways to learning for young Afghans.
Shabir Ahmad Tabib Zada’s ambition to support students in Afghanistan began long before the Taliban came to power. Living in Parwan Province, he saw the struggles young people overcame to complete their education, learning in crowded classrooms with scarce resources.
Those who were in a position to apply to university faced further challenges in a country where access to higher education relies as much on resilience and luck as on academic achievement.
“In many parts of the world, applying to university is a structured and supported journey,” Tabib Zada says. “Students have access to counselors, reliable internet, and clear pathways to higher education. But for thousands of young people in Afghanistan, the reality is very different.”
Growing up in a family that prioritized education, Tabib Zada encouraged friends to continue their studies. People knew him as academically motivated, so when the time came to apply to university, they turned to him for advice.
It started small—reading through cover letters and sharing tips on writing a CV. Word spread, and soon people were contacting him on social media. “I never planned it as a business. It grew naturally because people trusted me and knew I genuinely wanted to help.”
Then, in August 2021, the Taliban seized power. University placements and career plans were thrown into doubt, and the country waited to see how the future would unfold. As the group intensified its campaign to erase women from public life, the opportunities narrowed.
Tabib Zada was in school at the time and, like many young Afghans, he felt lost and uncertain. Some days, depressive thoughts consumed him, but gradually, he found ways to manage the stress. “I realized I needed to make a serious decision to protect my future and continue my education,” he says.
Around him, other young Afghans also wanted to regain control over their lives. Denied opportunities at home, many had the same question: “They asked me how to apply to go abroad,” Tabib Zada says.
Barriers such as poor internet access and a lack of information make applying to overseas universities extremely difficult, but this was rapidly becoming the only hope for ambitious students living under the Taliban.
In December 2022, women were banned from attending universities in Afghanistan, denying more than 100,000 students access to higher education. Interest in pursuing higher education abroad soared.
It quickly became clear that the need for support extended far beyond Tabib Zada’s circle. “I realized that even without money or big resources, you can still make a difference by giving your time, knowledge, and support to others,” he says.
In February 2024, he set up the Sigma Career Center, which hosts seminars online and in person for students in Kabul and Parwan. Sessions covered the basics: how to write a CV, present themselves in a personal statement, request a letter of recommendation, and apply for scholarships effectively.
“Students were eager to learn. They were motivated, ambitious, and determined, but they lacked access to even the simplest tools,” he says.
Expanding the program, he leveraged family connections and secured permission from Taliban authorities to run sessions that included women in Parwan. Out of 57 female participants, 45 have since secured scholarships to universities abroad. Another young woman began working as a nurse with the Red Crescent.
“It shows how access to opportunity can translate into immediate, life-changing results,” Tabib Zada says. “Students who once faced uncertainty are now stepping into global academic environments.”
Students like Marzia*, who hoped to become a software engineer and use technology to improve access to education for young people in Afghanistan. “Under the current conditions, education no longer guarantees employment or growth,” the 22-year-old says.
With opportunities disappearing at home, Marzia enrolled at the Sigma Career Center to take an English course and attend sessions offering scholarship advice. She no longer believes there is a path for her to learn in Afghanistan, but studying abroad offers hope.
“My dream of creating a better future drives me. I believe education is the only path that can change my life and allow me to contribute positively to society,” she says.
According to Tabib Zada, more than 8,000 students across Afghanistan have now benefited from Sigma’s training programs, which prioritize practical, accessible advice. Many participants have never received career guidance and are daunted by the requirements for studying abroad.
Students like Fahim, 23, who secured a scholarship to study in Switzerland with Sigma’s support. Adapting to life in a new country while worrying about friends and family in Afghanistan threatened to distract him from his studies, but he knows education is his best chance. “I want to prove that despite the challenges, I can succeed,” he says. “Opportunities abroad are not easy to access, but they offer more scope for personal and professional growth.”
In recent years, international application processes have grown increasingly complex as Afghan students face mounting restrictions on studying abroad. Visa policies are becoming stricter, with Afghan students often subject to additional scrutiny. “Even when opportunities exist, accessing them is becoming more complicated and uncertain,” Tabib Zada says.
In March 2026, the United Kingdom implemented a student visa ban on people from four countries, including Afghanistan, claiming “an unsustainable threat to the UK’s asylum system.”
Pakistan and Iran have also clamped down on educational pathways for students from Afghanistan.
Pakistan, which was one of the last hopes for Afghan women to study abroad, deported more than 146,000 Afghans in 2026 alone, while Iran, historically a major destination for Afghans seeking education abroad, has also moved to drive out undocumented Afghans.
Others have been forced to suspend their studies because of the conflict in Iran.
Whichever way they turn, young Afghans see the space for higher education narrowing as the Taliban tightens restrictions and foreign countries close their doors. Trust in international pathways is declining, but for a population that has already overcome learning challenges, there is still hope through grassroots programs like Sigma that support students in studying abroad. In Kabul, 65 young men secured scholarships to universities in Russia after participating in courses through the Sigma Career Center, while others have applied for scholarships in Malaysia. “Students still believe education is the only path to a better future, but repeated restrictions and uncertainty are slowly affecting their confidence,” says Tabib Zada. “That said, every scholarship success story helps restore that belief.”
*Pseudonyms have been used to protect the identity of our sources in Afghanistan
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