In brief
Razia Jan, who dedicated her life to educating girls in Afghanistan and founded the Zabuli Education Center, died on July 20, 2025, at age 81. After moving to the U.S. for decades, she returned to Afghanistan post-9/11, determined to foster educational opportunities during a turbulent era. Her legacy continues to inspire as she faced numerous challenges, including the return of the Taliban.
Razia Jan, an Afghan-American educator and entrepreneur renowned for founding a girls' school in Afghanistan, passed away on July 20, 2025, in Los Angeles at the age of 81 due to congestive heart failure. Born on June 5, 1944, in Quetta, Pakistan, she became a pivotal figure in promoting girls' education in her homeland following the events of September 11, 2001. Initially residing in the U.S. since 1970 and running a thriving dry cleaning business in Massachusetts, Razia Jan transformed her grief and determination into a mission to educate young girls in Afghanistan after observing the devastation wrought by the aftermath of 9/11. As a single mother, she became a voice for Afghan culture in the U.S. and also contributed to humanitarian efforts for 9/11 victims.Upon returning to Afghanistan in 2002 after 30 years, she recognized the dire need for girls' education in a country torn by war. In 2005, she secured funding and a plot of land to establish the Zabuli Education Center in Deh’Subz, just outside Kabul. Despite significant challenges, including community mistrust and Taliban oppression, she demonstrated remarkable diplomacy and resilience, winning over skeptical villagers with her extensive knowledge of local languages and cultures.The school officially opened with over 100 girls enrolled from kindergarten to fourth grade. It quickly expanded, providing a haven for girls amid threats of violence against educational institutions. Jan adopted creative strategies to engage families, such as teaching girls to write their fathers’ names, thereby appealing to familial pride in literacy. Even as cultural traditions conflicted with academic aspirations, Razia Jan worked tirelessly to keep students in school, demonstrating a deep commitment to their education. Her efforts were chronicled in the documentary "What Tomorrow Brings," which followed the lives of several students over the years, highlighting the complexities faced by girls pursuing education in Afghanistan.In 2017, her vision for women’s education extended to a new women’s college, which she helped establish with support from local elders. Despite the Taliban's resurgence in 2021 that banned education for girls beyond sixth grade, Jan’s legacy lives on with hundreds of students still enrolled in her school.Razia Jan’s contributions to education were recognized internationally, including being honored in CNN’s “Heroes” broadcast in 2012 for her humanitarian efforts. She leaves behind not only a legacy of educational opportunity but also a commitment to the cause that inspired many around the world. Her family includes her son, Ashraf, and a granddaughter, continuing the lineage of resilience she embodied throughout her life.
