The 43-year-old woman, who used to run a restaurant before the Taliban era commenced in 2021, is educating girls under the cover of secrecy. 

At a time when a large section of people escaped Afghanistan as the power shift happened in 2021, the woman entrepreneur decided to stay in the country.

“I felt as though an earthquake had struck and taken everything away from me,” she told Khaama Press.

Taj Begum restaurant was closed as the Taliban did not allow women to run such businesses but the owner of it founded the Mother Educational Center (MEC) with the aim of educating the eves who are facing hardships under the new rule.

Initially, MEC had two branches, one in the backstreets of Kabul, and another in the central Afghan province of Daikundi. Due to a lack of funds, the Diadundi branch shut down last year, however, girls still attend classes in the Kabul branch, reports Khaama Press.