Laara, meaning “The Path,” was born out of a promise made in the quiet nights of a refugee camp.
When Afghanistan’s democratic government collapsed in 2021, Najma Sael was among nearly 13,000 Afghans evacuated to Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
The evacuation brought safety, but also uncertainty and grief. In those first weeks, she grappled with anxiety about her future in the U.S., worry for family and friends still trapped in Afghanistan, and anger at the loss of everything familiar.
“During quiet nights walking the roads of Fort McCoy, I kept thinking about the students left behind,” she said. “I had escaped, but they hadn’t. How would they ever find a path forward without education?”
It was in those moments of reflection that a vow began to take shape — a promise that if Najma found a way forward, she would help others do the same. “God, if you open a path for me, I will open paths for others.”
Her prayers were fulfilled. Through the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP), she received the chance to continue her studies and enrolled at Bard College in New York.
Launched in 2021, QSAP is Afghan Future Fund’s flagship higher education initiative, offering full scholarships and university placements to displaced Afghan students worldwide.
She graduated this year, but her journey didn’t end with her own success. Instead, it sparked a mission reaching back to Afghanistan’s young people, especially girls who have been barred from education beyond sixth grade.
That mission became Laara — The Path.
From displacement to determination
“Laara is more than an organization. It is The Path,” Sael said. “A path from exile to empowerment, from barriers to breakthroughs, from one student’s promise to a movement for Afghanistan’s future. We put it all together to turn loss into enlightenment and fear into empowerment,” she said.
Laara’s vision is to be a bridge for Afghan youth to reach their potential. Through mentorship, scholarship and international collaboration.
Its mission is to empower Afghan students by connecting them with U.S. universities offering full scholarships and student visas. “Our mission is to facilitate the application process and provide essential guidance for undergraduate and postgraduate education,” Sael said.
Sael’s story: Rebuilding through education
“I was a little girl when I first watched Harry Potter, and I became obsessed,” Sael recalled with a smile. “That’s how I started learning English—by watching movies and cartoons online. Because of family restrictions, I wasn’t allowed to attend English courses. In Afghanistan, you usually have to register with independent training centers, and that wasn’t an option for me. But I knew one thing: I wanted to study abroad, to speak English, to learn in English.”
Najma’s determination to learn soon became a mission. She discovered an exam that allowed a handful of Afghan girls each year to attend high school in the U.S.. She passed, but then, the social limitation when it comes to girls’s education was a barrier. Later, as she neared graduation, she learned about the American University of Afghanistan.
“That became my dream,” she said. “I used to look at their brochure every night before bed and imagine myself in their classrooms—studying, making friends, building a future.”
Najma began preparing in secret. To pay for the pretest and TOEFL exam, she sold her only gold ring without telling her family. “I put everything I had into getting accepted,” she said. The day she received the call confirming her admission was one she’ll never forget.
“A woman told me, ‘You got accepted. Come for registration.'”It was the happiest moment of my life.”
She began her business administration studies in 2019. But just as her third year began, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. The collapse changed everything.
“I always wanted to help others,” she said. “Even then, I was guiding students, helping them apply, connecting them to the university. I didn’t know I’d one day have an organization doing the same thing—it was just always in me.”
Najma was among the few American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) students who received help from university affiliates to evacuate. Within a week, she was on a flight from Kabul to Germany, then to Wisconsin. Eventually, in 2022, through the scholarship, Najma enrolled at Bard College, shifted her major to economics and moved to New York City.
“I was studying full time while working to support myself and my family back home,” she said. She graduated in 2025—an achievement built on perseverance and purpose.
“In Afghanistan, the focus is always survival — war, poverty, instability,” she said. “But we need to focus on education.”
Her dream is to dedicate herself fully to its mission, but limited funding makes it difficult.
“All our staff are volunteers,” she said. “We’ve lost amazing people because we can’t pay them. But I won’t give up.
A recent conversation with one of her board members reminded her how challenging that vision can be. “They told me, ‘We have to be realistic. With the changes in the administration, we may not get funding,'” Sael said. “I told them, I’ll still try. I believe there are people out there who care about our cause.”
Her voice grows firm as she adds, “I wouldn’t be here without education. It’s life-changing. Everyone deserves that chance.”
Afghan talent needs opportunities
At AFF, every story like Najma’s reaffirms a simple truth — that when Afghan talent is given a chance, it doesn’t just transform one life, it ripples outward. Seeing students like Najma, who were once supported through AFF, now leading their own initiatives, captures the lasting impact of education and opportunity.
Her work through Laara embodies AFF’s mission at its core: education as the foundation for hope, dignity, and opportunity. By mentoring and supporting Afghan youth, Najma is not only honoring the path she was given — she’s helping to pave the way for the next generation of changemakers.
“My vision is to one day open Laara University, to offer scholarships to talented students who just need a chance. I don’t want youth like me to go through the same struggles.”
