New hope and confidence: The Afghan Sabira Saei is studying at the KU thanks to a DAAD scholarship

[Translate to English:] Sabira
© Christian Klenk

Her dream is to help Afghan women in gaining more freedom and financial independence. Sabira Saei has already achieved a lot in her own life despite the major obstacles she has faced. In her home country, the 27-year-old Afghan woman made it all the way to university. Thanks to a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), she is now studying for a Master's degree in Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.

"I write these words with a heavy heart, filled with a feeling of fear and despair. When the Taliban seized power in my home country, I was robbed of my livelihood and my educational opportunities.” Thus begins the letter Sabira Saei wrote in March 2023. She is desperate, but not hopeless: "The only consolation I have is my passport. I will do everything in my power to leave this place and start a new life.”

The appeal for help is addressed to the German Academic Exchange Service. Since 2021, the DAAD has been offering the "Students at Risk" program, which supports students who are denied the right to education in their country of origin and whose well-being and safety are threatened in their home country. The scholarships provides applicants with the possibility to take up studies in Germany or continue their doctorate. The program, which is funded by the Federal Foreign Office, is named after the German poet Hilde Domin. The writer of Jewish faith had to flee Germany during the Nazi era and lived in the Dominican Republic for a long time. The “Hilde Domin Program” thus enables students to study or research in a safe environment so that they can then "contribute to political, economic and social development in their countries of origin", as the DAAD describes the objective of the funding. The demand is many times greater than the places available. Many applicants recently came from Iran, Belarus, Myanmar and Syria. However, the country of origin with the most scholarship holders is Afghanistan, where young women in particular are suffering from the political situation.

Sabira Saei comes from the Hazara ethnic group, which has suffered discrimination and persecution not only since the recent Taliban takeover. Sabira grew up with four sisters and two brothers, her father is a farmer. In order to pay for their education, the children work alongside school. "Despite the work, I always studied with great passion – often late into the night", says Sabira. Her hard work is rewarded: As the best student in her year, she graduates from high school and starts studying Business Administration at Bamyan University. Here, too, she excels with outstanding achievements, receiving awards from the faculty and earning the highest scores among Economics Faculty students from various departments.

SAbira
Sabira in the reading room of the Library

Alongside her studies, Sabira works as an English teacher for the Jesuit Order's refugee service. In order to train for this job, she is taking part in a study program run by "Jesuit Worldwide Learning" where she obtains the certificate as a “Learning Facilitator”. This is also her first contact with the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU), as the Jesuit Order and the KU jointly offer the continuing education program, which is aimed at talented young people in poverty-stricken areas and crisis regions of the world. For Sabira, her work as an English teacher is more than just a part-time job to earn money. "My aim was to give Afghan girls access to education. This work is incredibly important, as the education of young women is often neglected and suppressed in many parts of the world", says Sabira. 

The young woman had to experience this for herself, too. In August 2021, the Taliban seized power over the country. "We had to end our work with the refugee service abruptly and leave our students behind." After some time, Sabira finds a new job as a financial and office assistant at a national development aid organization. "However, after a year, the Taliban once again prevented my colleagues and me from doing our work. I had to give up everything, all my dreams were destroyed, my future was uncertain from that point on." Her worries also extend to her four-year-old daughter Helen, as Sabira is a single mom. "I sat at home, unable to do anything, living in constant uncertainty." 

In this seemingly hopeless situation, Sabira decides to apply for a scholarship from the DAAD. She found out about the opportunity on social media. Candidates must be nominated by a German university in order to be able to apply. Sabira contacts several universities – and receives three positive responses. She decides for the KU quickly – because she already knows the University through the JWL certificate. She submits her documents, is invited to an interview, and after a few weeks actually receives confirmation of funding from the Hilde Domin Program. Sabira can hardly believe her luck. But there is still one hurdle to overcome: traveling to Germany. Leaving Afghanistan directly turns out to be impossible because of Taliban restrictions. But Sabira manages to travel to neighboring Iran. At the German embassy in Tehran, she finally receives the urgently required visa for Germany. 

Together with her daughter, Sabira arrives in Eichstätt in April 2024. The KU has supported her right from the start, says Sabira. The International Office helped her to find an apartment and the Center for Marriage and Family in Society arranged a daycare place for Helen. "As a single mom, I expected it would be difficult at first. But with the support I received, everything became much easier and more manageable. I am so grateful to the KU for this help."

Sabira is now in her third semester at the KU and is very happy here. She is doing very well with her studies, "even though I completed my school and my Bachelor's degree in a language other than English". She particularly enjoys the group work. "My fellow students are very motivated and cooperative. I learned a lot from working with them and from joint discussions." The professors and their assistants are also always happy to help. "I am really happy with my decision to study at the KU. Everything exceeded my expectations", says Sabira. "Now I have confidence and hope for my future again." Her dream is to help Afghan women gain more freedom and financial independence. "I want to found a non-profit consultancy that supports female entrepreneurs in my home country, even under the restrictions of the Taliban, so that they can survive, adapt and continue their entrepreneurial careers."