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Nineteen female medical students who were banned from continuing their education in Afghanistan will now complete their medical studies in Scotland.
These women had to abandon their medical training after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan three years ago and imposed severe restrictions on women’s rights.
A charity based in Lewis, the Linda Norgrove Foundation, collaborated with the UK and Scottish governments to secure visas and university placements for the students. Omulbanin Sultani, one of the students, remarked, “We suffered for a thousand days to reach this point. A thousand days trapped in our homes, our voices stifled by tears and sorrow, as our lives slipped away.”
The Linda Norgrove Foundation brought attention to the students’ situation last year. However, the process of bringing them to the UK faced delays due to bureaucratic obstacles and regulations.
The charity also noted that conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East added further complications by putting additional strain on governments.
Despite these challenges, the foundation expressed gratitude to both the Scottish government and the UK government’s Scotland Office for their efforts in overcoming the major hurdles.
The Linda Norgrove Foundation, which was established in memory of aid worker Linda Norgrove, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, has so far raised £60,000 to cover the expenses of bringing the 19 women to the UK and providing them with accommodation in Scotland.
The students arrived in Edinburgh earlier this week. The women shared that there were moments when they feared for their lives. Ms. Sultani added, “But during those harsh and unbearable days, the only source of hope in our dark world was the Linda Norgrove Foundation, which stood by us and made sure we never felt alone.”
NANCY MBAMALU
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