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Afghan Robotics Team’s Success was Highlight of Ambassador’s Career
From Diplomatic Pouch
02-08-2017 - By Teri WestAfter two denied visa applications and with five days to spare, the all-girl Afghan team traveled just in time for the international youth robotics competition. The six teens had already made news for themselves before even setting foot on U.S. soil, exciting audiences around the world.For Ambassador of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib, however, that week was absolutely thrilling.“It was the happiest moment of my career here to welcome them,” Mohib said, still in cheerful spirits at the end of the post-competition reception that the embassy hosted to honor the team. “I’ve never been so happy going to receive anyone from the airport so much as these girls.”The six teens and their robot felt like a symbol of hope beaming out of Afghanistan and into the world, and it was all happening right in his backyard.Just a few days prior to their arrival at Dulles International Airport, the president of the United States had approved the team’s visas, and in the time since, the girls had traveled from Herat to Kabul, picked up their visas, and hopped on a plane across the world to a country they had never visited.And they had also become celebrities.The team’s mentor Alireza Mehraban said that the airport welcome was the most memorable moment of his time in the country.“All the people coming here and cheering [for] us - that’s important for us because [it’s] like hope for us,” the software engineer said.
By Teri WestAfter two denied visa applications and with five days to spare, the all-girl Afghan team traveled just in time for the international youth robotics competition. The six teens had already made news for themselves before even setting foot on U.S. soil, exciting audiences around the world.For Ambassador of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib, however, that week was absolutely thrilling.“It was the happiest moment of my career here to welcome them,” Mohib said, still in cheerful spirits at the end of the post-competition reception that the embassy hosted to honor the team. “I’ve never been so happy going to receive anyone from the airport so much as these girls.”The six teens and their robot felt like a symbol of hope beaming out of Afghanistan and into the world, and it was all happening right in his backyard.Just a few days prior to their arrival at Dulles International Airport, the president of the United States had approved the team’s visas, and in the time since, the girls had traveled from Herat to Kabul, picked up their visas, and hopped on a plane across the world to a country they had never visited.And they had also become celebrities.The team’s mentor Alireza Mehraban said that the airport welcome was the most memorable moment of his time in the country.“All the people coming here and cheering [for] us - that’s important for us because [it’s] like hope for us,” the software engineer said. Ambassador Mohib honors the all-girls robotics team at the embassy.
Ambassador Hamdullah Mohib honors the all-girl robotics team at the Embassy of Afghanistan on July 18 after the competion's closing ceremony. (Photo: Embassy of Afghanistan) Mohib initially heard about the team’s visa troubles on the news and reached out to the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. To him, however, the story is much bigger than the president intervening on the girls’ behalf.He sees the teens as representative of the progress that has been made in Afghanistan since U.S. engagement began in 2001. The youngest, who is 14, was born after the engagement started.Sixteen years ago, girls in Afghanistan essentially did not attend school. Since then, partnerships between the Afghan government and funders such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank Group have helped develop educational opportunities.One example is the Education Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP), which provides funding and teacher training to make schooling more accessible, particularly for girls. In the nine years since it began, EQUIP has established over 1,000 schools and certified over 100,000 teachers.Afghanistan is devoting about 13 percent of its national budget to education this year.“This is not just about six girls coming to Washington,” Mohib said. “It’s about six girls from Afghanistan, from a post-conflict country, coming to Washington to compete with their peers from [the] developed world at the same level
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