“My father was afraid that if he let me continue with school my relatives will say bad things about me. After all, we are a conservative society. I told my father, ‘Let’s not be scared of doing something which is right. Going to school is not wrong.’ He agreed … but it was not easy to change his mind. Today, when I see his eyes shine as he watches me go to school, I know he is very proud of me.”

Amna Nasrullah’s father was about to close the doors of education for her soon after she finished primary school. In their village, it was not customary to send girls to school and he thought he would lose face in his community if he didn’t bar her from continuing with her education.

Amna, on the other hand, was certain that she wanted to stay in school and insisted that her father lets her continue with her education. After a great deal of effort, she succeeded in persuading her father to change his decision. When other families in the neighborhood saw her going to school, they mustered the courage to break the social conventions as well and allowed their daughters to continue with their schooling.

Now, each morning, Amna and five friends from her neighborhood, stride together through the gates of their TCF Secondary School to pursue their passion for learning. They want to take responsibility for creating a better future for themselves and their village.