Founder

Education is a lifelong journey — and every girl deserves to begin it

Daughters of Freedom is an online school committed to expanding access to high-quality education for girls across Afghanistan.

Ali Azizullah

Founder & Executive Director.

A word from our founder

My name is Ali Azizullah and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Daughters of Freedom.

I am a fourth-year undergraduate student at San José State University, pursuing a double major in Psychology and Public Health. My academic quest has shaped my passion and desire for understanding the relationship between education, wellbeing, opportunity, and long-term success. Through my studies in psychology, and public health, I have developed a strong interest in supporting individuals and communities various approaches.

I was born and raised in Russia and immigrated to the United States in 2007, beginning a new chapter of my life in a country filled with new opportunities, possibilities, and challenges. Like numerous immigrants, I had to adapt to a new environment, learn a new system, and find my own path forward.

One of the greatest challenges and difficulties I faced was navigating the educational system without having someone who could guide me through the process. I had to learn how to comprehend academic expectations, find opportunities, make crucial decisions, and advocate for myself largely on my own. Through determination, resilience and persistence, I was able to continue my education and reach where I am today.

However, I know that countless students face similar challenges but may not have the support, guidance, or resources needed to overcome them. This experience became one of the driving forces behind creating Daughters of Freedom. I want to ensure that girls do not have to navigate their educational journeys alone. I want them to have access not only to quality education, but also to mentors, guidance, encouragement, and a community that helps them understand their opportunities and believe in their potential.

Daughters of Freedom was created from the belief that education is more than access to information, it is a pathway to empowerment, confidence, and a better future. Every student deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and pursue their goals irrespective of the circumstances they face.

Beyond education, I am passionate about healthcare, psychology, research, and community service. I believe that supporting students requires more than academic instruction; it requires compassion, mentorship, and a commitment to supporting the whole person.

Outside of my academic and organizational work, I enjoy learning about various languages, reading, hiking, playing soccer, and spontaneous adventures. These interests continue to shape my belief and principle that meaningful and lasting change begins with understanding people, building relationships, and creating opportunities for others.

Through Daughters of Freedom, my goal and dream is to build more than an online school. I hope to create a supportive global community where students have access to education, guidance, mentorship, and the confidence to shape their own futures.

— Ali Azizullah

Founder & Executive Director Daughters of Freedom

A Message From the Founder:

“Education has always represented hope, opportunity, and the ability to create change. I believe every student deserves the chance to pursue their goals, and that a person’s future should never be decided by who is allowed to learn and who isn’t.

Since the Taliban’s illegitimate return to power, a regime no nation on earth formally recognizes, millions of girls in Afghanistan have been stripped of one of their most basic and fundamental human rights: the right to education. Daughters of Freedom exists because I refuse to accept that as the end of their story. Education is one of the most powerful tools we can put back in their hands, not just academic learning, but a community where they can discover their strengths, find their voice, and build the future that’s being denied to them.

This organization is a commitment: that every girl, no matter where she’s born or what her government allows, deserves the right to determine her own future, to write her own destiny, and to shape the circumstances of her own life, not have them shaped for her. Through education and collective effort, we can make sure that right is never taken from her again.”

Why I Started Daughters of Freedom?

Daughters of Freedom was founded on a conviction that has guided my life and work: that education must never be limited by geography, gender, or circumstances beyond a student's control. Every young person carries dreams, talents, and untapped potential, and access to a genuine education is what transforms that potential into a lived reality.
This organization exists to remove the barriers standing between girls in Afghanistan and their right to learn, providing them with real opportunities to continue their education, develop essential skills, and prepare with confidence for a future they are permitted to choose for themselves.
My commitment to this work is rooted in a deep connection to the Afghan community and a firsthand understanding of what it means to fight for opportunity when it is not freely given. That understanding shapes everything Daughters of Freedom is built to do.
Through this organization, my goal is to cultivate a community grounded in education, empowerment, and possibility, one where every student is encouraged not only to learn, but to imagine, without limitation, what her future could hold.