Rangina Khalili spent most of her childhood in Iran. Later, her family immigrated to Germany. “My parents realized that it would be almost impossible for their children to get an adequate education in Iran. Their strong commitment to their children’s education led them to leave behind everything they had built up over the years to give their children a more promising future.” She grew up with three brothers and one sister. Her siblings are currently busy with their studies and work, and her parents have been self-employed for seven years now.

Rangina is currently in her fifth semester of Civil Engineering at the university. “Personally, I see my school development as a battle against many difficulties. I was not allowed to go to school in Iran due to my nationality and lack of identification documents. However, my parents made sure to provide education for me by paying high fees for private tutors and schools.”

Rangina has been living in Germany for almost 11 years now. She recalls that the initial days were filled with confusion and uncertainty. “It took us about nine months to flee to Germany. Today, I am grateful for the educational opportunities that Germany has given me.” As part of the “Pupils for Pupils” project, she was able to introduce her fellow pupils to scientific topics and improve her German language skills at the same time. Through her participation in the START scholarship, Rangina expanded her network. “I have built up a large network and gotten to know different cultures. It has been a great opportunity for me to learn more about German culture and politics. It also helped me to integrate better into society.” The program supports committed young people with a migrant background.

In 2015, during the refugee flows in Europe, Germany opened its doors to refugees, including those from Afghanistan. Rangina, who had previously experienced the difficulties and challenges of being a refugee herself, made an effort to support the newly arrived refugees as much as possible. “I wanted to ensure that they did not feel as alone and overwhelmed as I had felt in the summer of 2013 when I first arrived in Germany.”

Two years later, in 2017, Rangina founded the Afghan Cultural Association in Recklinghausen. “The organization’s main goal was to build a bridge between the newly arrived and already resident Afghan families as well as to create opportunities for young children to learn their mother tongue while also offering cultural exchange events.”

Rangina has not had a chance to visit Afghanistan yet, “but my parents have taught us a lot about Afghan culture,” she says. She offers the following advice to other Afghans in Germany: “There are many opportunities available, and you should take advantage of them. Learning the German language is crucial, and it is important to follow your dreams. Just because you had to flee your home country does not mean that you cannot achieve great things.” Rangina believes that every difficulty is a lesson, and she is proud to pursue her goals despite all the obstacles she has faced.

“I wish for a magical solution that will eliminate the negative impact of power and capitalism. These two factors are the root cause of numerous problems and wars worldwide. My dream is to see a world where nobody is hungry or suffers from injustice, where no one is discriminated against based on their nationality, and where basic human rights are protected and respected. I hope that someday, this wish will become a reality.”