Hello everyone! Please meet one of CTI’s impressive prodigies. We are truly lucky to work with women like Fatema. Her ambition and intelligence shines through in this interview!

My name is Fatema Alizada I am 21 years old and I’ve graduated from computer science faculty of Herat university.

How did you find out about code to inspire? Tell us about your journey to CTI, how do you compare yourself now from the very first day you joined CTI?

I heard about CTI from friends and teachers and I saw some post about it on social media and I decided to join to Code to inspire to improve my abilities.

When I began studying computer science I had lots of dreams about becoming a programmer but after one year in faculty I found it difficult to pursue my dreams and I decided to change the way I study. I needed a place like CTI and an opportunity to improve my skills. when I heard about CTI and later joined it, I was able to code with some language but I want became a real programmer I love to create websites and applications before CTI this sounded impossible to me. starting coding in CTI helped me to understand everything is possible as long as I try hard, now I am able to create web sites and mobile applications and now I feel much better about myself, and my future. I can say code to inspire has helped me to find my way and it allowed me to challenge myself.

What programming language and framework you have learned so far ? tell us about one of your recent application you developed?

In code to inspire we started coding from HTML, CSS and JavaScript and now we are working with Appcelerator to develop mobile application. My recent project was a mobile application, with the name of Code to Inspire It is all about CTI.

Why you think learning to code is important for women in Afghanistan?

I believe every person, men and women, in Afghanistan have lots of problem and living is hard for everyone not only women, but women face additional restrictions and this makes the situation more difficult for women. Like women around the world each woman in Afghanistan has her own dream and talent. Coding for a woman who wants to become a coder is everything. And with coding she can find her position in society and can show her talent to other people and it is a big opportunity for them.

What is your message to people around the world as a girl in Afghanistan who is a coder?

My message as a girl who codes is, never give up on your dreams as long as you work hard and believe in yourself anything can happen. One day girls in Afghanistan can be the best – I believe it!

Tell as the fun fact about yourself?

I also love calligraphy and painting. Sometimes, in my free time, I paint and write just for fun.

Thank you for making Fatema’s journey with CTI possible! Support students like Fatema today!

I’m Samira Ansari, and at the age of seventeen, I just graduated from high school. I actually was interested in learning languages like English and Pashto because I wanted to speak in different languages in order to communicate with different people.

I learned about Code to Inspire from two mentors who came to our school, and presented the opportunity to become a student at CTI and learn about new technology. I decided to join, so I could learn new things.

Before when I saw websites, I thought that the people who had created them must be such smart geniuses. Now when I develop my own webpages, I feel so strong and powerful.

My message to girls around the world is to never stop trying because society cannot be built by just men. It also needs women and girls. Girls should use every chance and opportunity they get to further their education.

https://twitter.com/ansary_samira

Today we’re interviewing Boshra Rasouly, a tenth grade student living in Herat. She discusses the importance of changing the perception of Afghanistan and the perception of women in Afghanistan. As she explains, this isn’t possible without support and a helping hand! To keep her and her classmates’ education progressing, donate online at codetosinpire.org.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

What is your favorite subject in school and why?

My favorite subjects are Math, Biology, and Geography. I love math because when I solve a problem, I feel good and happy. I think an understanding of math in particular will help me learn all of my other subjects in school. With Math, I have lots of new and fantastic ideas because my mind is active and fresh. I love Biology because it helps me learn about the human body and Geography because I’m interested in nature.

How did you find out about Code to Inspire?

I heard about it because a friend of my father’s worked nearby. I visited out of curiosity about the school and how it teaches computer science. I didn’t really realize what they meant by “coding!” It was a great day because now I actually understand what coding is and how to do it. I’m going to keep on coding until I’m the best!

Work from Code to Inspire students

How has your life changed since you have started learning coding?

Since I became familiar with coding my life has changed a lot because I’ve become more familiar with computers and just the whole world of coding.  It’s become a real passion in my life and I dedicate a lot of time to it.

How do you compare yourself from the very first day you start writing code?

The very first days when I came here I was not so familiar with the fantastic work that I could do with coding, but day by day over the past year and a month, I have  learned four languages: HTML, CSS, JS, and JQ. I feel like coding can be unpredictable because whenever you learn from this amazing language you create such fantastic things.

And now I feel more powerful from my very first day that I started writing code.

What is your message to people around the world as a girls in Afghanistan learning how to code?

In Afghanistan, we haven’t progressed as much as the rest of the world.  This is true for coding, where there are a lot of limitations for girls and women. Fortunately today we can see that this limitation is decreasing as women in Afghanistan are proving that we don’t need to conform to outdated ideas of how we should behave.

We can have lives outside of home, work, or school, and  women can participate in different places like coding to show their power and communicate with the world and share their ideas on solutions to the world’s biggest problems.

My message to people around the world is that Afghan women, like all other women, have lots of talent, great ideas, and big ambition, but just they need to a powerful hand and the support of people.