"Even though Parisa Ahmadi was in the top of her class at the all-girls Hatifi High School in Herat, Afghanistan, her family was initially against her enrolling in classes being offered by a private venture that promised to teach young girls Internet and social media skills – and even pay them for their efforts. “"Here in Afghanistan a woman’s life is limited by her room’s walls and school,” she wrote in an email. In Afghanistan, girls are not exposed to the Internet, not at home and not at school. That’s the way it might have stayed, too, if Ahmadi hadn’t persisted. She was a top student, and she wanted to take even more classes. In her mind, that was reason enough. She pressed her family, by her own admission, “a lot.”
The Age of Cryptocurrency, Paul Vigna & Michael Casey.
Please tell me about yourself.
“My name is Parisa Ahmadi, this year I have graduated Hatifi High School. Recently I took University entrance exam Kankor, and I am waiting for my result. I would like to study medical faculty and I hope I get the entrance marks.” She continued “I am a very hardworking student, in 10th grade I got the first position in my class and this year I was introduced as of the most talented students to the Education Department of Herat by my school.”
When did you start writing blogs and how did you start being interested in it?
“When I first heard that a company is going to make a computer lab in our school I didn’t believe in, since a lot of other organizations have promised to do so but they didn’t. This time it was different they really made the computer lab and equipped it with internet. After a while Elaha Mahboob came and introduced the blogging system of Bitlanders. On bitlanders we could write blogs, share them through Social Media and earn money. When the Women's Annex Digital Literacy classes started I asked my family to register for the classes and after their permission I registered and started the classes that really changed my vision about everything. I always liked writing and now it was my chance, I started to write about women problems, my dreams and any other things which I had in mind. The environment bitlanders provided is motivating me write more since I can write whatever I had in mind.“
How did social media affect your life?
“I have been writing for a long time but unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to publish these writings for the people. Social media gave me what I needed, an environment to publish my ideas for the entire world. It gives me a kind of energy to write more and more since I see that I have audiences. Social media connects me to all my friends now. I use Social Media and in general the Internet for studying and learning new things, and the most important of all it financially supports me.”
What is your opinion about Bitcoin and this new payment technology?
For me as an Afghanistan citizen, Bitcoin is like a very easy and effective banking system for me. I have no bank account and even if I have I cannot do any online shopping. With Bitcoin I can do my online shopping anywhere in the world with almost not fees. The means of security it brings is awesome and I don’t have to be worried that my money is going to be lost or robbed. I have a complete freedom in my payments.
How did you feel when you heard that your name was published in a book?
“Oh I cannot describe it by words, it was an amazing feeling when Elaha Mahboob informed me in Facebook that my name was published in a book. I felt so proud of myself. I understood that there are people in the world who praise hard working and this really gave me courage to go forward with more energy. I really thank Roya Mahboob and Elaha Mahboob who provided this chance for me to show my talent to the world. There are a lot of other girls who do not have the opportunity to show themselves and promote their talents, I wish one day the use of computer be well-spread in my country where all women in Afghanistan get familiar with the real world. Here I would like to especially appreciate Paul Vigna and Michael Casey for writing my story in their Book.”
