The Dewa Trust Foundation is a UK-based charity founded in 2016 that works to educate and empower Afghan communities, particularly women and girls.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, women and girls across the country have faced severe restrictions on their freedoms and access to education. Girls are currently banned from attending secondary school and university, leaving millions without access to formal education beyond primary school. Women have also faced increasing restrictions on employment, public life, dress, and freedom of movement.
Before the Taliban’s return to power, the Dewa Trust Foundation focused heavily on educating families and providing resources that encouraged girls to remain in school rather than being forced into early marriage.
Since 2021, the organization has shifted much of its focus toward providing educational opportunities for girls who are no longer able to attend school in person.
The foundation currently supports around 50 female teachers in Afghanistan who deliver online classes for girls in grades 7–12, reaching approximately 6,000 students across the country.
The organization was founded by Dewah Khan, who was born in Afghanistan in 1987. After losing family members during the Soviet-Afghan War, she fled to Sweden with her mother and was raised there.
Khan is deeply committed to advocating for Afghan women and girls and ensuring they are not forgotten by the international community.
“I will not sit quiet, I will not be quiet. I will work until my last days for them,” Khan said.
Through conversations with students supported by the foundation, Khan said many young girls are struggling with mental health challenges brought on by fear and uncertainty about their future.
“They are looking at me telling me, ‘we don’t have a future,’” Khan said.
Khan also noted that in recent years it has become increasingly difficult to find men and boys willing to openly support women’s education, as prolonged Taliban rule increasingly influences social attitudes within the country.
Despite these challenges, Khan said the worsening conditions only strengthen her determination to fight for a better future and restore hope to the girls she serves.
One of the foundation’s future goals is to develop a more accessible educational app that would allow girls across Afghanistan to continue their studies through secondary school and eventually pursue higher education.
Khan believes hope itself is essential to survival.
If you have hope, “you can still survive even if you have to [move a] mountain,” she said.
Those interested in supporting the organization’s work can donate through the Dewa Trust Foundation website.
The APPG for International Freedom of Religion or Belief strongly opposes the Taliban’s repression of fundamental freedoms and stands with the people of Afghanistan whose rights have been severely restricted under extremist rule. The APPG remains committed to working alongside organizations such as the Dewa Trust Foundation to advocate for change and encourage continued engagement with the UK government on issues relating to human rights and freedom of religion or belief.
