AFGHAN GIRLS ROBOTICS TEAM
Working as an Afghan Dreamer changed my life and opened new doors for me to explore the world. I will always be an Afghan girl who is working for Afghanistan and it’s future.
— Ayda Haydarpour, Former AGRT Team Member
The Afghan Girls Robotics Team evolved out of a DCF STEM program with an enrollment of 7 students in January 2017. The girls made headlines in 2017 after being denied visas to participate in a robotics competition in Washington, D.C. Eventually, former President Donald Trump intervened, and the team was granted entry into the United States for the competition. They went on to win several prestigious international robotics awards. Many of the initial members have since graduated and are continuing their studies. Successive enrollments have built on their example and demonstrate growing confidence and technical proficiency. Members also applied their skills to address immediate needs in Afghanistan, such as developing a low-cost ventilator derived from widely available used car parts at the height of a regional COVID outbreak. The teams have become known internationally as the “Afghan Dreamers.”
In response to the instability following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, DCF sought Qatar’s help to provide study-abroad opportunities for some members of the team. The Qatar government facilitated their visas, and with the Qatar Foundation and Qatar Fund for Development’s support, team members received scholarships to study in Education City. While some members stayed in Afghanistan, Europe, and the UAE, additional scholarships were awarded in 2022, enabling more Afghan Dreamers to pursue education in Qatar. This initiative laid the groundwork for DCF’s Scholarship Program.
Despite numerous challenges, the team has continued to compete in international robotics competitions and advocate for women’s and girl’s educational access on the global stage. Members of the group and DCF leadership have won numerous awards, including the F1RST Global Competition Awards (2021,2023), the 2022 Doha Forum Award (awarded to Roya Mahboob, DCF Executive Director), U.N.’s Education Cannot Wait Global Champion (awarded to former team captain Somaya Faruqi).
Notable press accolades featuring the team include Forbes’ “30 Under 30 of Asia Awards” and Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21 2021” as exemplars of “The Young People Shaping Tomorrow.” Alums who evacuated to Doha in the summer of 2021 have been accepted into universities worldwide, serving as a powerful example to girls everywhere.
TEAM AWARDS
- 2017 Benefiting Humanity in AI award at World Summit AI
- 2017 Courageous Achievement – FIRST Global, Washington DC
- 2017 Entrepreneur Challenge Award, Robotex Festival, Estonia
- 2018 Permission to Dream Award – Raw Film Festival
- 2018 Conrad Innovation Challenge – Raw Film Festival
- 2018 Rookie All Start – District Championship, Canada
- 2019 Inspiring in Engineering – FIRST Detroit World Championship
- 2018 Asia Game Changer of California
- 2019 Asia Game Changer of California
- 2019 Safety Award – FIRST Global, Dubai
- 2021 Judges Award – FIRST Global, Virtual
- 2023 Courageous Achievement, FIRST Global, Singapore