Presenter Bios

Lamar Zala Gran, an accomplished education and women’s rights activist from Afghanistan, has dedicated her efforts to empower women and children since 2020. As the founder and president of the Empower Afghan Women Nonprofit Organization, she advocates for Afghan women, raises awareness about their situation, and provides online education for young girls across the country. Lamar’s impactful work has gained international recognition, and she has been featured in prominent media outlets like BBC World News, La Repubblica, and Politico. Her commitment extends beyond borders, as she collaborates with global educators and leaders to improve the educational prospects and rights of Afghan women.

Zakia Irfan is 19 years old and a sophomore at McGill University studying microbiology and immunobiology. She is passionate about women’s healthcare and global health, as she is a board member of the Muslimah For Change Foundation, an international organization that promotes the education and wellness of Muslim girls. Zakia has also co-authored with Dr. David Janiczek the High School Pre-Med, an E-book highlighting the steps from a high school student to eventually medical school.

Frohar Hamidi, a VV visionary leader and education advocate for girls education in Afghanistan, is the founder of Sun's Girls Organization which offers free online education for to over 1000 girls in different cities of Afghanistan since 2022. She also worked as a volunteer at 21st Century Girls 2021-2022 and Afghanistan Astronomy Association2019-2021. She is currently a Savvy fellow, Unisfere Research fellow, and certified USIP youth- led peace building projects.

Darcy is an alumni of The Knowledge Society, a program that focuses on how innovation and technology can tackle the world's biggest problems. Previously focusing on Nanotechnology, her focus is now on environmental issues, and how people can pressure governments and organisations to be more sustainable through their daily actions.

Let's talk a little more about each of us. Jacob. He's been in our school since the very first day. Same goes for Tania and Lana. As for Lana, she's a seventh grader who is currently studying with nine graders. Sophia. Because of war she was forced to move to our city and started attending our school. And though currently she's living in England she's still in a very close contact with us and comes to us during holidays.

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My name is Tamlyn. I am a full-stack developer passionate about climate change, marine safety, and women's rights in tech. I advocate using technology to drive positive environmental change. With a focus on empowering youth, I believe in the potential of young people to innovate and lead sustainable tech initiatives that address global challenges. I am currently building in the fashion tech industry

Bolu is a passionate co-learner (our term for teacher) at KEY academy who deeply loves working with children and believes that every child has the right to quality education. With a belief that education is one of the most important investments we can make, Bolu is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment where each child can thrive. Having experienced conventional schooling herself, she is committed to offering a new path that helps each child reach their highest potential, driven purely by a love for learning.

Narges Salehin, who is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Business Analytics at the University of Tulsa, has been a member of Girls Toward Leadership (G2L) since 2021 and currently serves as the Administrative Officer. In this role, she engineers and implements systems to optimize task distribution, improving operational efficiency and team performance. She also develops systematic reporting processes that enhance individual accountability and drive operational consistency, contributing significantly to G2L’s mission of empowering Afghan girls to become leaders in their communities.