Become a Digital Penpal
Step 1: Inspire
Step 2: Write Your Letter
Step 2: Write Your Letter
Do you remember the first time you received a letter as as a kid? What a terrific feeling to receive an item from a far away place! That's what we're asking you to do for youth in Zimbabwe & the world who feel invisible in our digital age.
Step 2: Write Your Letter
Step 2: Write Your Letter
Step 2: Write Your Letter
The heartfelt letter you still remember. Your favorite childhood game. The book that made you feel understood as a teenager. This is your opportunity to pass on these same lifelines to children who watched the world around them stumble through a pandemic and catastrophic climate change. No gift of words from the heart is ever too small.
Step 3: See it in Action
Step 2: Write Your Letter
Step 3: See it in Action
We invite the general public to write letters directly to our youth to inspire them to keep going. Tragically, youth mortality rates in Zimbabwe and neighboring regions are witnessing an alarming surge, particularly from suicide, domestic violence, and teenage pregnancy
Share your experiences of navigating the teenage years with perseverance, strength and hope!
A Letter From Ashima
"Dear Girls: Coming from a traditional background where education was often out of reach for women, I’ve come to deeply appreciate its transformative power. Though I now live in the UK and work as a teacher in an international school in Bangkok, my journey here has been anything but easy — and I want to share it with you, so you know that you are not alone.
I was born in Afghanistan, where life for girls and women is filled with challenges, inequality, and often, silence. At the age of five, my family and I were fortunate enough to move to the UK in search of a better future. But starting over was hard. We didn’t speak a word of English, and we had almost no money.
My father worked 4 to 5 jobs a day — as a cab driver, food delivery man, servant — anything to provide for us. I watched him work with strength and quiet sacrifice, and I carry that determination with me every day. My mother was married at the age of 17 and moved in with in-laws in a strict and traditional household. She faced injustice and gender inequality, but she fought hard — for herself, and for her children. She made sure we grew up with love, strength, and the chance to dream beyond the limits of tradition.
Even as a teenager, I faced inequality within my own family — different expectations for me compared to my brother. And when I decided I wanted to go to university and live away from home, it caused a lot of tension. My father didn’t agree with my ideas. He wanted a different life for me — one that mirrored the lives of the women before me.
School was another challenge. I was the only Asian girl in my class and was often bullied and excluded. I had no friends for a long time and felt like I didn’t belong. But I never gave up. I believed in my future, and I was lucky to have teachers who believed in me too — who saw my potential even when I couldn’t see it in myself.
But I stood firm. I challenged those expectations, even when it was painful, and I kept fighting for the life I knew I wanted. Today, at 31, I live far from home and teach in Bangkok. I’ve carved out a life that reflects my values, not someone else’s. Do I still doubt myself sometimes? Of course. We all do. And yes, society will always have something to say. But here’s what I’ve learned: you have to believe in yourself, even when no one else does. You have to find the light inside you and protect it fiercely.
I hope this letter reminds you that you are stronger than your circumstances. No matter what others expect of you, your dreams matter. Your voice matters. There is beauty in the struggle, and there is strength in choosing your own path — even when it’s hard, even when it’s lonely. So don’t give up. You have a bright future ahead of you. Life will have its ups and downs, but it is still beautiful — and so are you.
With love and strength, Ashima
