Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani honouring Roya Mahboob.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday honoured Roya Mahboob, the leader of the Afghan girls’ robotics team, with the Doha Forum 2022 Award.
Mahboob, who is also the CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund, was recognised for her outstanding efforts to empower young Afghan girls and enable them to achieve their dreams.
She is an entrepreneur focused on building digital literacy for women and children and worked in forming an all-girls robotics team in Afghanistan who were evacuated to Doha after the regime change in their country.
“It’s a pleasure and my honour to receive this precious gift. And I would like to sincerely thank His Highness for his continued support of my work in Afghanistan and also for this generous gift. I also want to thank you, everyone, who are helping me to be who I am today,” Mahboob said upon receiving the award.
In conversation with Nelufar Hedayat, Afghan-British journalist and Doha Debates correspondent Mahboob urged the influential policy makers to insist on the Taliban regime to encourage education of girls.
“Afghanistan has a very young population. We have still 27 million young generations there. I mean, I know that the evacuation has happened, 100 thousands of Afghans left, but there are millions of kids are there still and we cannot forget them,” she said.
“I would call on every policymaker here and the people who have influence on the Taliban and to encourage them on girl education,” she added.
Mahboob also emphasized on the importance of STEM education during the conversation.
“I think STEM education is an engine for rapid regional development. STEM education is the future; we have to invest in STEAM education. If we do not put the high quality of the STEM education in our schools, we might limit our future; limit our younger generation to not be prepared for future jobs,” she said.
“If you are giving the tools and high quality of education to the children, it doesn’t matter where they are living, either in the United States, or Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine or any part of the world. They can be the next inventor, designer and creator that they can change their lives and also they can show their communities. STEM education is the future and, you know, it’s going to increase the economic opportunities for the people,” she added.
A week before the former government of Afghanistan, Mahboob had planned building an all women based robotic factory.
On the sidelines of Doha Forum, the Afghan Girls Robotic Team showcased their new activities.
