>>> 17 YEARS AGO, THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED A $100 MILLION PROJECT TO REVOLUTIONIZE PROSTHETIC LIMBS.
THE ROBOTICS THAT INVESTMENT INSPIRED IS AMAZING. BUT EVEN MORE REMARKABLE IS HOW THE FEELING OF FEELING --
>> SO IF I HOLD THIS RIGHT HERE. >> -- IS RETURNING TO PEOPLE'S LIVES. >> I FEEL IT HERE AND HERE.
>>> WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN SINCE THE AMERICAN MILITARY LEFT KABUL? TO FIND OUT, WE WENT, OF COURSE,
TO RWANDA. YES, RWANDA. HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING? >> GREAT!
>> THIS IS THE STORY OF A BRAVE AFGHAN WOMAN WHO HELPED EVACUATE MORE THAN 200 AFGHAN GIRLS AND EDUCATORS TO SAFETY IN AFRICA
WHERE THEY'RE STUDYING IN HOPES OF ONE DAY RETURNING TO THEIR HOMELAND. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BECOME
LEADERS? >> YES. >> I WANT TO BE A SURGEON. >> I WANT TO HELP POOR PEOPLE IN
AFGHANISTAN. >> I WANT TO BE A POLITICIAN. >> AND, FINALLY, FROM ZAHRA -- >> I WANT TO BE A SPY.
>> A SPY? [ LAUGHTER ] >> I'M LESLEY STAHL. >> I'M BILL WHITAKER.
>> I'M ANDERSON COOPER. >> I'M SHARYN ALFONSI. >> I'M JON WERTHEIM. >> I'M CECILIA VEGA.
>> I'M SCOTT PELLEY. THOSE STORIES TONIGHT ON "60 MINUTES."
CAPTIO
>>> WE DON'T OFTEN THINK ABOUT HOW THE SENSE OF TOUCH MAKES OUR LIVES POSSIBLE. WE GRIP A PAPER COFFEE CUP WITH
PERFECT FORCE TO HOLD IT, BUT NOT CRUSH IT. OUR FEET ALWAYS FIND THE FLOOR. BUT FOR PEOPLE WITH ARTIFICIAL
LIMBS, OR THOSE WITH SPINAL INJURIES, THE LOSS OF TOUCH CAN PUT THE WORLD BEYOND THEIR GRASP.
17 YEARS AGO, THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED A $100 MILLION PROJECT TO REVOLUTIONIZE PROSTHETIC LIMBS.
THE ROBOTICS YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE IS AMAZING - BUT AS WE FIRST REPORTED EARLIER THIS YEAR, EVEN MORE REMARKABLE IS HOW THE
"FEELING OF FEELING" IS RETURNING TO PEOPLE LIKE BRANDON PRESTWOOD. >> FOR ME, IT WAS -- IT'S A
BATTLE IF I WANTED TO LIVE OR DIE. >> YOU WEREN'T SURE YOU WANTED TO LIVE?
>> NO. I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WANTED TO OR NOT. >> BRANDON PRESTWOOD'S BATTLE
BEGAN WITH THE LOSS OF HIS LEFT HAND. IN 2012, HE WAS ON A MAINTENANCE CREW REASSEMBLING AN INDUSTRIAL
CONVEYOR BELT WHEN SOMEONE TURNED IT ON. >> AND MY ARM WAS DRAGGED IN PRETTY MUCH UP TO THE SHOULDER.
IT CRUSHED MY BONES IN MY ARM AND FED MY ARM THROUGH A GAP OF ABOUT 1 INCH. >> HOW DID THEY SAVE YOUR LIFE?
>> THE OTHER MAINTENANCE GUYS JUMPED IN. THEY STARTED BASICALLY TAKING THE MACHINE BACK APART.
ONCE WE GOT IT BACK APART, I COULD LOOK IN AND SEE WHAT WAS THERE. AND ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN WAS A
VIETNAM VETERAN. >> AND THE VIETNAM VETERAN KNEW WHAT TO DO. >> YEAH.
>> THE VIETNAM VETERAN KNEW TOURNIQUETS. BUT PRESTWOOD LOST HIS HAND AND COULDN'T RETURN TO HIS JOB.
>> AFTER FOUR YEARS WITH A HOOK, HE TOLD HIS WIFE, AMY, HE WANTED TO VOLUNTEER FOR EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH INVOLVING SURGERY AT
THE V.A. >> I WAS NOT 100% ON BOARD TO START WITH. BUT I KNEW HE HAD HIS MIND SET
THAT HE WAS -- HE HAD TO DO THIS. AND I COULDN'T HOLD HIM BACK. >> SIX YEARS LATER, THANKS TO
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AND V.A. PROJECTS, PRESTWOOD CONTROLS THIS HAND WITH NOTHING BUT HIS THOUGHTS.
>> EVERYTHING STILL FEEL GOOD? >> PROBABLY WHEN I GET HER TURNED AROUND HERE. >> ELECTRODES, IMPLANTED IN
MUSCLES IN HIS ARM, PICK UP HIS BRAIN'S ELECTRICAL SIGNALS FOR MOVEMENT. A COMPUTER TRANSLATES THOSE
SIGNALS TO THE HAND. >> HOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE FINGER NOW? SENSORS IN THE PLASTIC FINGERS
ARE CONNECTED TO NERVES IN HIS ARM TO RETURN A BASIC SENSE OF TOUCH, WHICH HE CAN DEMONSTRATE WITH HIS EYES CLOSED.
>> PINKY, INDEX. >> THAT'S NOT BAD. >> MIDDLE. >> IT STILL REQUIRES A LITTLE
BIT, BUT IT'S NOT BAD. >> BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER DUSTIN TYLER LEADS THIS RESEARCH AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
AND THE CLEVELAND V.A. >> TOUCH IS ABOUT CONNECTION, CONNECTION TO THE WORLD, IT'S ABOUT CONNECTION TO OTHERS, AND
IT'S A CONNECTION TO YOURSELF, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE NEVER EXPERIENCE NOT HAVING TOUCH.
IT'S THE LARGEST SENSORY ORGAN ON OUR BODY. >> TYLER FIRST ATTEMPTED AN ARTIFICIAL CONNECTION IN 2012.
HE SWITCHED IT ON IN A VOLUNTEER AND WONDERED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. >> SO I WAS CONCERNED, WOULD IT BE HIS WHOLE HAND?
WOULD IT BE PAINFUL? WOULD IT NOT FEEL ANYTHING? WE HAD NO IDEA. SO, ONE OF THOSE BIG MOMENTS IN
MY CAREER WAS HE CAME IN, WE FIRST TURNED ON THE STIMULUS, AND HE KIND OF STOPPED FOR A SECOND, AND HE GOES, "THAT'S MY
THUMB, THAT'S THE TIP OF MY THUMB." >> THIS HAPPENED RIGHT AWAY? >> FIRST TIME.
>> IT DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY TRAINING OF THE BRAIN. >> NO. THAT WAS THE BEAUTY OF IT, "MY
THUMB." >> BRANDON PRESTWOOD REMEMBERS THE INSTANT IT HAPPENED TO HIM. >> "THAT'S MY FINGERS."
I AM FEELING MY FINGERS THAT I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE. I'M FEELING THEM. >> A DEFINITE FEELING, HE TOLD
US, BUT DIFFERENT. >> IT DOESN'T FEEL EXACTLY LIKE MY RIGHT HAND. IT'S A TINGLING SENSATION.
IT'S NOT PAINFUL. IT'S KIND OF LIKE, IF YOUR HAND'S BEEN ASLEEP, RIGHT AT THE END, RIGHT BEFORE IT WAKES UP,
THAT VERY, FOR ME, IT'S PLEASANT, IT'S A PLEASANT TINGLING. >> LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN DO IT ON
A CHERRY HERE. >> A TINGLING THAT'S LIGHT WITH A LIGHT TOUCH BUT GROWS STRONGER THE HARDER HE PRESSES.
EYES CLOSED, HE CAN PINCH A CHERRY FIRMLY ENOUGH TO PULL IT FROM ITS STEM BUT NOT CRUSH IT. >> YOU CAN FEEL THIS, IT'S
LIGHT. >> I HAD TO USE MY LIGHTEST TOUCH WITH AN EMPTY EGG SHELL. >> I CAN FEEL THAT.
I FEEL IT HERE AND HERE. >> IT'S A FEELING MORE THAN A DECADE IN THE MAKING. >> AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS
RESEARCH, HOW DID YOU EVEN IMAGINE THAT THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE? >> I DIDN'T IMAGINE.
I IMAGINED IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE. >> SLIMAN BENSMAIA, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, IS AMONG
THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERTS ON THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TOUCH. IN 2008, HE JOINED THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT'S PROJECT TO
REVOLUTIONIZE PROSTHETICS, BUT HE DIDN'T THINK THE PENTAGON KNEW WHAT IT WAS UP AGAINST. >> THERE ARE 100 BILLION NEURONS
IN THE BRAIN INTERCONNECTED WITH 100 TRILLION SYNAPSES. I MEAN, THE HUMAN BRAIN, IT'S LIKE THE MOST COMPLEX SYSTEM IN
THE KNOWN UNIVERSE. >> TOO COMPLEX, HE BELIEVED, TO TARGET ELECTRICAL STIMULATION TO EXACTLY THE RIGHT NEURONS.
>> AND WHEN WE ELECTRICALLY STIMULATE, WE ACTIVATE HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME, IN WAYS THAT WOULD NEVER
HAPPEN NATURALLY. IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THAT VERY IMPOVERISHED INTERFACE WITH THIS NERVOUS SYSTEM WOULD NEVER DO
ANY -- BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL. AND IT TURNS OUT I WAS WRONG. >> HE WAS PROVED WRONG BY HIS
OWN RESEARCH... >> HOW YA DOIN', SCOTT, NICE TO MEET YOU. >> NICE TO MEET YOU, SCOTT.
...WITH VOLUNTEERS INCLUDING SCOTT IMBRIE. >> AND YOU CAN FEEL THAT? >> I FEEL IT ON MY FINGERTIPS.
...WHOSE MOVEMENT AND SENSE OF TOUCH, ARE LIMITED BY A SPINAL INJURY FROM A CAR ACCIDENT. >> COMPUTER PORTS IN IMBRIE'S
SKULL ARE WIRED TO THE MOTOR AND SENSORY PARTS OF HIS BRAIN. ELECTRODES PICK UP THE BRAIN'S ELECTRICAL SIGNALS THAT WERE
INTENDED FOR THE MUSCLES. A COMPUTER TRANSLATES THOSE SIGNALS TO THE ROBOT ARM. >> WE FIRST SAW THIS
BRAIN/MACHINE INTERFACE TEN YEARS AGO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH. BUT, BACK THEN, THERE WAS NO
SENSATION. >> INDEX FINGER... >> IN COLLABORATION WITH PITT, NEUROSCIENTIST SLIMAN BENSMAIA
SHOWED THAT SIGNALS FOR TOUCH COULD BE RETURNED TO THE BRAIN. >> HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT PART OF THE BRAIN IS THE
TIP OF THE INDEX FINGER? >> WE TOOK SCOTT AND WE PUT HIM IN A FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SCANNER.
AND THEN WE HAD HIM IMAGINE MOVING HIS THUMB, IMAGINE MOVING HIS INDEX, IMAGINE MOVING HIS DIGITS AS WE MONITORED HIS BRAIN
ACTIVITY. AND, LO AND BEHOLD, THE SENSORY AND MOTOR PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE HAND,
LIT UP. >> MIDDLE...RING...INDEX... >> THERE ARE CHALLENGES. EVENTUALLY THE BRAIN BUILDS SCAR
TISSUE AT THE IMPLANTS LIMITING THE MOTOR ELECTRODES. BUT ONE PATIENT'S IMPLANTS HAVE LASTED EIGHT YEARS AND COUNTING.
SCOTT IMBRIE'S HAD BEEN WORKING MORE THAN TWO YEARS. >> YOU HAVE BEEN A SUBJECT OF THIS WORK FOR YEARS NOW.
AND I WONDER WHY. >> I WANTED TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME INDEPENDENT AGAIN.
>> THE MOST MEANINGFUL WORK OF YOUR LIFE? >> YES, SIR, 100%. >> THE GREATEST INDEPENDENCE
MIGHT BE NO PROSTHETIC AT ALL. AND WE SAW THIS ASTOUNDING POSSIBILITY WITH A PIONEER, AUSTIN BEGGIN.
HIS BRAIN IMPULSES ARE ROUTED, NOT TO A ROBOT, BUT TO IMPLANTS IN HIS OWN ARM THAT FIRE HIS MUSCLES.
>> WHAT FUNCTION DID YOU HAVE IN THIS HAND BEFORE THE IMPLANTS? >> OH, ABSOLUTELY NONE. >> NOTHING?
YOU COULDN'T MOVE IT AT ALL? >> NO. SO, THE ONLY THING I CAN DO REALLY IS SHRUG MY SHOULDERS AND
KIND OF SHIFT 'EM. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT WAS ALL THAT CAME BACK AFTER MY ACCIDENT. >> HIS ACCIDENT WAS ON A
VACATION CELEBRATING HIS COLLEGE GRADUATION. DIVING INTO A SUBMERGED SANDBAR LEFT HIM QUADRIPLEGIC.
NOW, MOTOR AND SENSORY IMPULSES FLOW THROUGH THE PORTS IN BEGGIN'S SKULL AND A COMPUTER BYPASSING HIS DAMAGED SPINE.
>> RELAX...CLOSE. >> THE RESEARCH IS LED BY BOLU AJIBOYE, A BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE
UNIVERSITY. >> OUR GOAL IS TO RESTORE COMPLETE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE UPPER ARM INCLUDING DEXTROUS
HAND FUNCTION AND THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT SO THAT AUSTIN AND OTHERS WHO'VE SUFFERED, YOU KNOW, SEVERE SPINAL CORD INJURY
CAN REGAIN SOME LEVEL OF FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE. >> THE CRADLE UNDER HIS ARM ONLY SUPPORTS THE WEIGHT - ALL OF THE
MOTION IS HIS OWN. IT TAKES EFFORT. HE HAS TO CONCENTRATE. >> LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
OPEN HAND. RELAX HAND. CLOSE HAND. RELAX HAND. OPEN HAND. RELAX HAND. >> AND THE COMPUTER NEEDS
FREQUENT ADJUSTMENT. >> HOW DOES THAT FEEL? >> GOOD. BUT HIS PARENTS SHELLY AND BRAD
SHOWED US WHERE THIS COULD LEAD. >> CARROT? OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A NICE GRANOLA BAR?
>> I'LL TAKE THE GRANOLA BAR. >> YEAH, I FIGURED. >> BEGGIN RETAINED LIMITED FEELING AFTER HIS INJURY WHICH
MAKES HIM IDEAL FOR EVALUATING THE ARTIFICIAL SENSE OF TOUCH. HIS MOTOR SKILLS CONTINUE TO GROW.
>> SO IF I CAN EXTEND FIRST. LET ME OPEN MY HAND FOR YA AND SQUEEZE AROUND IT. YOU'LL FEEL ME REALLY START TO
DIG IN RIGHT THERE. >> YOU GOT A GRIP. >> YEAH. [ LAUGHTER ]
IT REALLY IS. AND LET GO AND I'LL BRING THE ARM BACK UP. >> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> AMAZING. >> AMAZING ADVANCES ARE COMING
QUICKLY. DANNY WERNER LOST HIS FOOT IN VIETNAM. BUT 47 YEARS LATER, HE WAS
RECONNECTED TO TOUCH IN AN ARTIFICIAL FOOT, WHICH HELPS HIM BAG, CLIMB STAIRS AND WALK ON UNEVEN GROUND.
BRANDON PRESTWOOD'S NEXT DEVICE WILL REPLACE SOME WIRING WITH BLUETOOTH CONNECTIONS. >> ESPECIAL THE THUMB, THE
THUMB'S SPOT ON. THE COST OF HIS EXPERIMENTAL RIG AND SURGERY IS ESTIMATED AT ROUGHLY $200,000.
BUT AN EVENTUAL COMMERCIAL SYSTEM MAY COST SIGNIFICANTLY LESS WHILE DELIVERING MOMENTS THAT ARE PRICELESS.
>> WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU TO FEEL AMY'S HAND IN YOURS? >> THE WORLD. I WAS A WHOLE PERSON AGAIN.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE DARK THOUGHTS CREEPING BACK IN. >> IT'S JUST GIVEN ME BACK MY
HUSBAND WHO MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. HE'S HISELF AGAIN. >> "HIMSELF" BECAUSE THE FEELING
OF FEELING IS SO MUCH OF WHAT MAKES US HUMAN. MAYBE THAT'S WHY WHEN WE SEE A TENDER MOMENT, IT IS SAID TO BE
"TOUCHING." >> I LOVE YOU.
>>> FOLLOWING THE BREAKTHROUGHS IN PROSTHETICS. >> THAT IS JUST THE MOST ASTOUNDING THING I'VE EVER
>>> WHATEVER YOUR VIEW OF THE U.S. DECISION TO END AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR AND WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN, THAT COUNTRY'S
FALL TO THE TALIBAN IN AUGUST OF 2021 HAS UNQUESTIONABLY PLUNGED THAT NATION ONCE AGAIN INTO A DEEP CRISIS.
MILLIONS ARE FACING FAMINE, AND THE ECONOMY IS IN SHAMBLES. THOSE SUFFERING THE MOST ARE AFGHAN WOMEN AND GIRLS.
THE TALIBAN HAS CLOSED GIRLS' SCHOOLS BEYOND 6th GRADE, AND BARRED WOMEN FROM UNIVERSITIES. THAT MEANS THAT GIRLS ARE BANNED
FROM ANYTHING BEYOND A GRADE SCHOOL EDUCATION. TONIGHT, THOUGH, WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU A STORY OF HOPE...
ABOUT A GROUP OF AFGHAN GIRLS WHO ARE IN SCHOOL. AS WE FIRST REPORTED IN FEBRUARY, THEY'RE AT A SCHOOL
CALLED SOLA, THE AFGHAN WORD FOR PEACE...AND ALSO SHORT FOR SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP AFGHANISTAN.
IT WAS STARTED BY A YOUNG AFGHAN WOMAN NAMED SHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH, WHO KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE POWER OF AN
EDUCATION. AND THOUGH THEY HAD TO FLEE AFGHANISTAN IN A HARROWING ESCAPE, WE FOUND THE GIRLS OF
SOLA BACK IN THE CLASSROOM...HALF A WORLD AWAY. >> THESE ARE THE BUSY STREETS OF KIGALI, RWANDA, A LAND-LOCKED
AFRICAN NATION THAT WAS ONCE THE SITE OF A HORRIFIC GENOCIDE THAT KILLED NEARLY A MILLION AND LEFT 2 MILLION REFUGEES.
RWANDA IS NOW AT PEACE, AND HAS BECOME AN UNLIKELY PLACE OF REFUGE FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS. >> HOW MUCH IS THE PINEAPPLE?
>> TO THE GIRLS OF SOLA. AND THEY SEEM TO BE SETTLING IN. >> ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? >> YES.
>> THE EVENING WE ARRIVED AT SOLA'S TEMPORARY CAMPUS HERE THE 6th AND 7th GRADES WERE HOLDING A GEOGRAPHY COMPETITION.
>> SPELLING COUNTS. >> OKAY. >> CLASSES HERE ARE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH.
>> GO! >> THE GIRLS WERE RACING TO IDENTIFY NEARLY 200 COUNTRIES ALL AROUND THE GLOBE.
THEY'RE WEARING MASKS NOT TO PROTECT AGAINST COVID, BUT TO HIDE THEIR IDENTITIES TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES STILL IN
AFGHANISTAN. >> MY NAME IS ZAHRA. ZAHRA'S FAMILY HAS LEFT THE COUNTRY SO SHE CAN SHOW HER
FACE. SURAYA'S AND NAJIA'S ARE STILL THERE. >> YOU KNOW EVERY COUNTRY IN THE
WORLD. >> YES. >> YOU LIKE IT. >> IT WAS FUN.
>> YOU LIKE CONTESTS? >> YES. [ LAUGHTER ] >> THEY'RE SO PASSIONATE.
THEY'RE SO ACTIVE. THEY'RE SO EAGER. THEY'RE SO INTERESTED. >> SHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH IS
SOLA'S FOUNDER AND SINGLE-MINDED LEADER. >> HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING? >> GREAT!
>> AT 32, AND JUST OVER 5 FEET TALL, SHABANA STARTED CREATING SOLA WHEN SHE WAS STILL A STUDENT HERSELF.
HER STORY AND HER COMMITMENT TO EDUCATING GIRLS GOES BACK TO 1996 WHEN AFGHANISTAN FELL TO THE TALIBAN THE FIRST TIME.
SHE WAS 6 YEARS OLD, AND ALL GIRLS' SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED. BUT SHABANA'S PARENTS, A FORMER GENERAL AND AN EDUCATOR, REFUSED
TO KEEP THEIR DAUGHTERS LOCKED UP AT HOME. THEY HEARD ABOUT A SECRET SCHOOL RUN OUT OF A FORMER PRINCIPAL'S
LIVING ROOM, AND SAW AN OPPORTUNITY, DESPITE THE DANGER, FOR SHABANA AND HER OLDER SISTER TO BE EDUCATED.
>> THE TALIBAN DID NOT ALLOW WOMEN TO GO OUTSIDE ALONE. SO MY PARENTS DRESSED ME UP AS A BOY SO THAT I COULD ACCOMPANY MY
SISTER TO AND FROM THAT SECRET SCHOOL. >> THAT WAS THE BEST WAY THAT BOTH OF US COULD RECEIVE AN
EDUCATION. >> OH, MY GOD, SO THEY DRESSED YOU AS A BOY -- >> MY MOM CUT MY HAIR.
I WORE BOYS' CLOTHES. >> PANTS. >> PANTS AND T-SHIRT AND, YEAH, BUZZ CUT.
>> AND THE FAMILY CAREFULLY MAPPED OUT THEIR ROUTES. >> YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE DIFFERENT STREETS EVERY DAY SO YOU DON'T
CREATE A ROUTINE. THE SAME SHOPKEEPER AT A CERTAIN CONVENIENCE STORE SHOULD NOT NOTICE YOU EVERY DAY.
>> SO YOU WERE ALWAYS AFRAID, OR THEY WERE ALWAYS AFRAID, YOU'D GET CAUGHT. >> THEY NEVER KNEW WHEN OR IF WE
WOULD RETURN HOME. >> BUT EVEN AFTER A CLOSE CALL WHERE SHABANA AND HER SISTER WERE FOLLOWED AND BEGGED THEIR
PARENTS TO STOP SENDING THEM TO SCHOOL, HER MOM AND DAD SAID NO. >> THEY TOLD US THINGS LIKE, "YOU COULD BE FORCED TO LEAVE
YOUR HOME. YOU COULD BE FORCED TO BECOME A REFUGEE. YOU COULD LOSE ANY MATERIAL
POSSESSIONS THAT YOU HAVE. BUT THE ONE THING THAT CAN NEVER BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU IS YOUR EDUCATION."
>> WHEN THE TALIBAN FELL AFTER THE U.S. INVASION IN 2001, SHABANA WENT TO A REAL SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND SHE
EXCELLED, WINNING A PLACE IN A STATE DEPARTMENT PROGRAM TO SPEND A YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL IN THE U.S.
>> I WAS RANDOMLY PLACED WITH THIS LOVELY HOST FAMILY IN WISCONSIN -- WHERE I GAINED 40 POUNDS.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> BUT THAT WASN'T THE ONLY WAY THE YEAR CHANGED HER. >> WHAT STRUCK ME THE MOST, WAS
LIVING IN A SOCIETY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE WHERE GIRLS HAD NO CONCERNS WHATSOEVER THAT THEIR FREEDOM TO ATTEND
SCHOOL COULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM ANY TIME, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY SINGLE AFGHAN GIRL WHO'S LUCKY ENOUGH
TO GO TO SCHOOL LIVES WITH, AND YOU CAN'T BLAME THEM, CAN YOU? >> NO, I CAN'T BECAUSE AFGHANISTAN IS THE ONLY COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD THAT WON'T LET GIRLS GO TO SCHOOL. >> YEAH, SO, UM -- >> WHY ARE YOU TEARING UP?
THAT AFGHANISTAN'S THE ONLY COUNTRY? >> UH-HUH. >> SHABANA'S COMMITMENT TO HER
HOMELAND RUNS DEEP. WHEN SHE GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE IN VERMONT, SHE STARTED WORKING NOT
ON BUILDING A GREAT LIFE FOR HERSELF IN THE U.S., BUT WHAT SHE COULD DO FOR AFGHANISTAN. HER ANSWER, START A SCHOOL.
AND BY THE TIME SHE GRADUATED IN 2011, AN EARLY VERSION OF SOLA WAS ALREADY UP AND RUNNING IN KABUL.
>> I HEARD THAT IT'S DIFFERENT. IT'S A LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. >> FATIMA WAS AN EARLY SOLA STUDENT.
>> YOU WERE ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK UP? >> YES. >> YOU LIKED IT?
>> YEAH, YEAH. [ LAUGHTER ] >> I WAS, LIKE, "WOW." I THOUGHT, LIKE, IT'S SUCH AN
AWESOME SCHOOL. >> FATIMA'S TWO YOUNGER SISTERS, AYDIN AND SAJIA, TOOK NOTICE. SAJIA GOT IN NEXT.
>> AND I WAS, LIKE, "WELL, NEXT YEAR IT'S MY TURN." [ LAUGHTER ] >> AYDIN REMEMBERS TRYING TO
IMPRESS SHABANA, THE SCHOOL'S FOUNDER, IN HER INTERVIEW. >> I WAS, LIKE, READING A LOT OF BOOKS AND I WAS WRITING THEIR
SUMMARIES DOWN. AND I WAS, LIKE, "YOU KNOW WHAT? I SHOULD TAKE THIS AND SHOW HER LIKE I'M A SMART KID, YOU SHOULD
ACCEPT ME HERE." [ LAUGHTER ] >> IT WORKED. AYDIN STARTED AS A 6th GRADER IN
2016, THE YEAR SOLA EXPANDED TO BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED 6th-12th GRADE GIRLS BOARDING SCHOOL. THE ONLY ONE IN AFGHANISTAN,
FUNDED AS A U.S. NONPROFIT THROUGH GRANTS AND DONATIONS. THERE WERE DAILY ASSEMBLIES, AND THE SCHOOL'S OWN SPECIAL PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE. >> "WE ARE ALL AFGHANS, WE LOVE AFGHANISTAN, WE WILL TRY OUR BEST AND WORK HARD TO IMPROVE
THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY." >> SHABANA'S GOAL WAS BOTH TO EDUCATE HER STUDENTS AND SERVE THE NATION BY TRAINING A
GENERATION OF LEADERS FROM AFGHANISTAN'S VARIOUS REGIONS AND RELIGIOUS SECTS. >> MY ROOMMATE WAS SHIA, AND I
WAS SUNNI. AND IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TO TALK TO A SHIA GIRL. AND IT WAS SO INTERESTING TO
HEAR FROM HER. >> DO YOU DELIBERATELY WANT THE CHILDREN OF CONSERVATIVE FAMILIES?
>> WE CERTAINLY CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH EVEN THE MOST CONSERVATIVE FAMILIES IN AFGHANISTAN WOULD FEEL
COMFORTABLE SENDING THEIR DAUGHTERS. >> DO THEY? >> THEY DO.
>> DO YOU TEACH THE QURAN? >> WE DO. FOR THESE YOUNG WOMEN TO BE EFFECTIVE LEADERS OF
AFGHANISTAN, THEY HAVE TO BE GREAT MUSLIMS, GREAT AFGHANS, AND HIGHLY EDUCATED. >> AT THE START OF 2021, SOLA
WAS THRIVING. SHABANA HAD SECURED LAND IN KABUL, AND CONSTRUCTION WAS UNDERWAY ON A NEW CAMPUS.
THERE WERE A RECORD NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, WITH STUDENTS ENROLLED FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND SOLA GRADUATES WERE DOING JUST WHAT SHABANA HAD ENVISIONED. FATIMA HAD FINISHED COLLEGE AND
WAS WORKING AT THE AFGHAN MINISTRY OF FINANCE. >> I WAS A PROFESSIONAL WOMAN. I WAS CONTRIBUTING.
I ALSO HAD ALL OF MY FRIENDS WHO WERE EDUCATED WOMEN AND MEN AS WELL. >> SO THERE WAS A LITTLE
COMMUNITY. >> YES. >> BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH A
NEWLY EMBOLDENED TALIBAN, PROMISING A WITHDRAWAL OF U.S. TROOPS. AND THEN IN APRIL OF 2021,
PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCED AN UNCONDITIONAL EXIT. >> I'VE CONCLUDED THAT IT'S TIME TO END AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR.
IT'S TIME FOR AMERICAN TROOPS TO COME HOME. >> I KNEW THEN THAT IT WAS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT WAS
GOING TO BE IRRESPONSIBLE OF ME TO RUN AN ALL-GIRLS BOARDING SCHOOL IN KABUL. >> SHE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF
TAKING THE WHOLE SOLA COMMUNITY, STUDENTS AND STAFF, ABROAD FOR A SEMESTER WHILE THE AMERICAN WITHDRAWAL PLAYED OUT.
SO SHE STARTED SEARCHING FOR A COUNTRY, IDEALLY ONE NEARBY, THAT WOULD ACCEPT THEM. BUT THE WARMEST RESPONSE SHE GOT
BY FAR WAS FROM RWANDA, AND SHE GRABBED IT. >> YOU WERE GOING TO GO TO A PLACE CALLED RWANDA.
>> RWANDA. >> DID YOU KNOW ANYTHING? >> WE ALL WENT AND SEARCHED, AND THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS IN
AFRICA, AND I WAS, LIKE, "WOW, OH, MY GOD, I'M SO EXCITED." [ LAUGHTER ] >> SOME OF SOLA'S ALUMS,
INCLUDING SAJIA AND FATIMA, WERE ASKED TO COME AS WELL. >> SO WAS THE IDEA AT THAT MOMENT THAT YOU WERE ESCAPING
AND THAT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO COME BACK FOR A WHILE? >> NO. THE IDEA WAS THAT THE SECURITY
IS GETTING WORSE. WE WOULD LEAVE FOR -- FOR A, YOU KNOW, SEMESTER. AND THEN IF THE SECURITY GETS
BETTER, WE WOULD COME BACK. IF NOT, WE WOULD STAY THERE FOR A YEAR OR MORE. >> WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE IN
KABUL AT THAT POINT? >> THE PROVINCES WERE, YOU KNOW, FALLING ONE AFTER ANOTHER, BUT THEN WE WERE NOT HOPING FOR
KABUL TO FALL THIS SOON. >> THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WASN'T EXPECTING KABUL TO FALL SOON EITHER.
AS AMERICAN SOLDIERS PREPARED FOR AN ANNOUNCED END-OF-AUGUST DEPARTURE, SOLA BROUGHT IN PASSPORT OFFICIALS ON AUGUST
14th TO PROCESS THE GIRLS' PAPERWORK FOR FLIGHTS A FEW DAYS LATER. THEY WORKED INTO THE NIGHT, BUT
UNBEKNOWNST TO ALL OF THEM, IT WAS TOO LATE. THE TALIBAN WERE CLOSING IN AND WOULD ENTER KABUL IN JUST A FEW
HOURS. >> IT WAS 5:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING WHEN I GOT A KNOCK ON MY DOOR.
>> ONE OF MY TEACHERS CAME AND SAID THAT, "YOU GUYS HAVE TO LEAVE SOLA IN FIVE MINUTES." AND I SAID THAT, "WHY?"
AND SHE SAID, "IF THE TALIBAN COME, THEY WILL KNOW THAT HERE IS A SCHOOL, AND THEY WILL KILL ALL OF US."
>> ALL OF THE GIRLS WAS SHOUTING, AND ALL -- ALL OF US CRYING, "WHAT SHOULD WE DO?" TALIBAN CAME TO THE KABUL AND
TOOK ALL OF KABUL. >> IN THE CHAOS OF THE TALIBAN TAKEOVER AND GOVERNMENT COLLAPSE, SOLA QUICKLY SENT
STUDENTS HOME WITH TEACHERS AND STAFF. SHABANA SCRAMBLED TO TRANSFORM WHAT WAS TO BE AN ORDERLY
DEPARTURE INTO A SUDDEN, LIFE-THREATENING ESCAPE. BUT FIRST, SHE HAD TO KEEP A PROMISE...ONE SHE'D MADE YEARS
EARLIER TO A STUDENT'S FATHER. >> HE SAID, "PROMISE ME, WHEN THE TALIBAN COME TO KABUL, THAT YOU WILL BURN MY DAUGHTER'S
RECORDS. IF THEY FIND OUT THAT SHE'S A STUDENT HERE, THEY WILL KILL ME AND MY FAMILY."
>> SO SHABANA DID SOMETHING HEARTBREAKING...SET FIRE, IN THE SCHOOL'S FURNACE AND COURTYARD, TO THE HARD-EARNED RECORDS OF
ALL OF SOLA'S STUDENTS. >> IT WAS INCREDIBLY PAINFUL. IT FELT LIKE MAKING THEM DISAPPEAR.
>> THE GIRLS OF SOLA...THEIR ESCAPE FROM KABUL, AND HOW THEY'RE DOING TODAY, WHEN WE COME BACK.
>>> MOST OF US REMEMBER THE DESPERATE, FRANTIC CROWDS TRYING TO GET OUT OF KABUL AFTER THE TALIBAN TAKEOVER IN AUGUST 2021.
AMONG THEM WERE THE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF AND STAFF FAMILIES OF SOLA, 256 PEOPLE IN ALL.
SOLA'S FOUNDER, SHABANA BASIJ-RASIKH, MANAGED TO GET ALL OF THEM ON U.S.-APPROVED LISTS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY, BUT
GETTING THEM INTO THE AIRPORT WAS ANOTHER MATTER ALL TOGETHER. THERE WERE A SERIES OF TALIBAN CHECKPOINTS, SO ARRIVING
TOGETHER AS A GIRLS' SCHOOL WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION. SOLA DIVIDED THE STUDENTS INTO GROUPS, WITH MANY POSING AS THE
CHILDREN OF STAFF MEMBERS. THE CALL WENT OUT FOR ALL THE GROUPS TO HEAD TO THE AIRPORT ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 17th.
THE PREVIOUS DAY HAD BEEN CHAOS. PEOPLE HAD BEEN CLINGING TO AIRPLANES, AND CROWDS HAD DESCENDED ON THE AIRPORT.
SISTERS FATIMA, SAJIA, AND AYDIN PREPARED TO GO THERE TOGETHER. >> WE HAD OUR MASKS, WE MADE SURE OUR SCARVES ARE PUT
TIGHTLY, AND WE WERE WEARING VERY LONG DRESSES. >> WHEN WE LEFT, MY MOM WAS TELLING US THAT, "MAKE SURE THAT
YOU DON'T DO EYE CONTACT WITH -- WITH TALIBS. SO WE WERE JUST REALLY SCARED. AND THEN I WAS JUST, LIKE --
>> IF I LOOK DOWN, THEY WON'T LOOK AT ME. >> YES. >> BY THE TIME WE GOT CLOSER TO
THE AIRPORT, IT WAS SO CROWDED. >> THE WEATHER IS HOT, AND I HAVE THIS BLACK SCARF AND BLACK MASK.
AND IT'S SUFFOCATING. >> PEOPLE WAS PUSHING EACH OTHER AND SHOUTING. AND ALL OF THE BABIES CRYING.
>> I SAW TALIBAN THAT THEY WERE -- THEY WERE SHOOTING THE GUNS. AND ALSO THE --
>> THEY WERE SHOOTING GUNS? >> LIKE, THE BULLETS -- >> -- INTO THE SKY. >> TALIBAN SHOOTING IN AIR,
PEOPLE RUNNING. >> SOMEONE TOOK MY SCARF. IT WAS IN MY HEAD, AND THEN SOMEONE -- AND THE TALIB SAW ME,
AND I SHOUTED, AND I SAID THAT, "THEY WILL KILL ME NOW." >> AS A TEACHER QUICKLY HANDED NAJIA A SCARF, FATIMA AND HER
SISTERS WERE BEING JOSTLED BY THE CROWD. >> EVERYBODY WAS PUSHING AND IN A MOMENT, I NOTICED THAT MY
SISTERS AREN'T THERE. >> AT ONE POINT, SHE WAS GONE. >> SO NOW IT'S JUST THE TWO OF YOU?
>> I REMEMBER SITTING THERE AND THEN CRYING. AND I WAS, LIKE, "AYDIN, I DON'T WANT TO GO.
CAN WE JUST STOP HERE? YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST GO BACK." >> HONESTLY, I UNDERSTAND. I -- I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DOPE
JUST WHAT YOU DID. >> IT WAS A TRAGEDY, YOU KNOW, WITH WOMEN HAVING, LIKE, THEIR VERY YOUNG KIDS.
I WAS, LIKE, "I JUST CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE." >> I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT LISTENING
TO ME, AND THEN ONE OF SOLA TEACHERS CAME AND TOLD HER THAT, "YOU GOTTA STAND UP, GO, OR STAY HERE FOREVER."
AND THEN I TOOK HER HAND AND THEN WE WENT. >> THE THREE SISTERS WERE AMONG MORE THAN A HUNDRED SOLA
STUDENTS AND STAFF, INCLUDING SHABANA, WHO MADE IT INTO THE U.S. MILITARY-CONTROLLED AIRPORT TO SAFETY THAT DAY, AND WERE
PROCESSED TO LEAVE ON WAITING JETS. SHABANA WAS TOLD HER NAME WAS ON A TALIBAN HIT LIST, SO SHE
SHOULD GET OUT RIGHT AWAY WITH THEM. BUT ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WERE STILL STUCK IN THE
CROWDS OUTSIDE. SHABANA REFUSED TO GO. >> I KNEW IF I -- IF I LEFT, IT WAS GAME OVER.
THOSE WHO WERE STUCK AT DIFFERENT CHECKPOINTS HAD NO WAY OF GETTING THROUGH. >> PEOPLE WERE PUSHING US.
>> ONE OF THEM WAS ZAHRA. >> TALIBAN WAS SAYING, "SIT," AND THERE WAS NO PLACE TO SIT. >> ZAHRA'S GROUP AND OTHERS HAD
TO TURN BACK, WHILE SHABANA SPENT A FIRST SLEEPLESS NIGHT INSIDE THE AIRPORT. AFTER TWO MORE DAYS OF WAITING
IN THESE THRONGS, ONE LAST GROUP OF 52 WAS STILL STUCK. SHABANA ASKED A U.S. MARINE CAPTAIN TO ACCOMPANY HER OUT OF
THE SAFETY OF THE AIRPORT AND BACK TO THE TALIBAN CHECKPOINT. CAPTAIN NICHOLAS GREY GRABBED TWO MEMBERS OF HIS TEAM AND
SAID, "LET'S DO THIS." >> YOU WERE IN THE AIRPORT AND WENT OUT. >> AND THEN WENT BACK.
THIS IS WHAT YOU DO. YOU HAVE 10-YEAR-OLD GIRLS, 11-YEAR-OLD GIRLS, 15-YEAR-OLD GIRLS STUCK ON THE OTHER SIDE.
YOU DO ANYTHING YOU CAN TO GET THEM TO SAFETY. >> AND SHE SHOUTED, "SURAYA, SURAYA, COME THIS WAY."
AND I PUSHED, I PUSHED, I PUSHED AND I GET HER HAND, AND -- >> AND SHE PULLED YOU? >> YEAH.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS. >> THESE PICTURES WERE TAKEN AS THE VERY LAST GROUP OF STUDENTS -- AND SHABANA, AFTER
THREE DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS IN THAT AIRPORT -- BOARDED THE MILITARY TRANSPORT PLANE THAT WOULD AT LAST FLY THEM AWAY.
SHE HAD MANAGED TO GET EVERYONE OUT -- 256 PEOPLE. >> YOU HAVE TO SAY TO YOURSELF, "I DID IT, IT'S OVER, I GOT
EVERYBODY OUT." >> IT WAS FINALLY HAVING A MOMENT TO THINK ABOUT -- OH, MY GOD, THIS IS IT.
>> OH MY GOD, THIS IS IT. SO NOW YOU'RE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. >> WE'RE LEAVING, YOU KNOW?
AND I WAS TAKING WITH ME FROM AFGHANISTAN SOME OF THE BEST EDUCATED GIRLS, WOMEN LEADERS IN THE MAKING.
I FELT SO HEARTBROKEN FOR OUR PEOPLE, FOR AFGHANISTAN. I FELT HEARTBROKEN FOR THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE LEAVING.
THEY ARE SOME OF THE MOST WANTED TALENT IN AFGHANISTAN. AND AS SOON AS THEY STEP OUTSIDE OF THIS AIRPORT, THEY ARE GOING
TO BE SEEN AS UNWANTED REFUGEES WHEREVER THEY END UP. >> HELLO. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> BUT HER STUDENTS ARE HAVING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. IN RWANDA, THEY HAVE BEEN WELCOMED.
>> GOOD MORNING! HOW ARE YOU TODAY? >> WE FOUND THEM DRESSED IN NEW SCHOOL UNIFORMS, SINCE EACH OF
THEM HAD FLED WITH JUST A BACKPACK. >> I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE WEARING. >> THANK YOU.
>> THEY'RE HAND-SEWN WITH RWANDAN PATTERNS TO HONOR THEIR ADOPTED HOME. >> YOU LIKE IT HERE?
>> YES! >> YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THEY'D BEEN AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
>> SOLA'S TEMPORARY CAMPUS HERE FEELS LIKE A HAVEN. IT'S A FORMER HOTEL COMPLEX. ITS RESTAURANT NOW A DINING
HALL, WITH CLASSROOMS CONVERTED FROM HOTEL SUITES. >> DIVISION! >> THEY'RE GETTING ON WITH THE
BUSINESS OF LEARNING, MASTERING MATH TERMS. >> NUMERATOR. >> IN ENGLISH!
>> DENOMINATOR. >> WITH MANY OF THEIR AFGHAN TEACHERS NOW RESETTLED AS REFUGEES IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
SOLA HAS BROUGHT IN NEW TEACHERS FROM ABROAD. >> THAT WAS GREAT. GOOD JOB.
>> THIS IS A SCHOOL FOR LEADERSHIP. >> YEAH. >> YOU THINK THAT YOU'LL BECOME
LEADERS? >> YEAH. >> YES, OF COURSE. >> I WANT TO BE A SURGEON.
>> I WANT TO HELP POOR PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN. >> I WANT TO BE A POLITICIAN WOMAN.
>> A POLITICIAN? >> YEAH. >> SURAYA WANTS TO BE AN ASTRONAUT.
>> SPACEWOMAN. >> AND, FINALLY, FROM ZAHRA. >> I WANT TO BE A SPY. >> A SPY?
>> YEAH. [ LAUGHTER ] THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. >> HOW ARE THE GIRLS DOING?
>> OUR STUDENTS, OUR GIRLS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY AND REMARKABLY FOCUSED. IT IS BEYOND INSPIRING TO SEE
THESE YOUNG GIRLS WHO KNOW THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REUNITE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
>> BUT THOUGH THEY'RE MORE THAN 3,000 MILES AWAY... >> ONE BY ONE, PLEASE. >> IT IS THE 21st CENTURY.
ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING SCENES WE SAW HERE WAS THE DAILY HOUR, AFTER CLASSES END, WHEN GIRLS CAN CALL THEIR FAMILIES.
WATCHING THEM SCATTERED AROUND THE ROOM IS TO FEEL THE TREMENDOUS SEPARATION. BUT SHABANA ALSO SEES THE
CLOSENESS. >> YESTERDAY I WAS WATCHING SWIMMING PRACTICE, AND ONE OF THEM SAID, "I'VE BEEN WANTING TO
LEARN HOW TO FLOAT FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, AND I CAN FINALLY DO IT TODAY." AND I ASKED HER, I SAID, "DO YOU
SHARE THESE KINDS OF MOMENTS WITH YOUR FAMILY?" SHE SAID, "I SHARE EVERY SINGLE THING WITH MY FAMILY."
>> OH. >> AND THEY ARE SO HAPPY FOR ME. THEY TELL ME THAT THEY ARE HAPPY BECAUSE I'M HAPPY.
>> WHAT'S THE RECEPTION BEEN LIKE IN RWANDA? >> REMARKABLE DOESN'T QUITE CAPTURE IT.
>> I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH SO MANY RWANDANS SAYING, "PLEASE DON'T FORGET, WE WERE ALSO ONCE REFUGEES.
HERE WE ARE BACK IN RWANDA. YOU WILL GO BACK HOME, BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, WELCOME HOME TO RWANDA."
>> WOW. >> WHY DOES THAT HAPPEN? DID I THROW IT? >> NO.
>> ON EARTH, THERE IS GRAVITY. >> WATCHING THESE GIRLS LEARN, WE WERE STRUCK BY THE REALIZATION THAT THEY ARE AMONG
THE ONLY AFGHAN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS, OUT OF A COUNTRY OF 40 MILLION, WHO ARE GETTING A FORMAL EDUCATION.
>> BUT KNOWING HOW FORTUNATE THEY ARE HAS MADE HEARING THE NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN THAT MUCH MORE PAINFUL.
FATIMA'S FEMALE CO-WORKERS AT THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED. >> MY FEMALE COLLEAGUES RECEIVED
PHONE CALLS SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD SEND ONE OF THEIR MALE FAMILY MEMBERS TO WORK INSTEAD OF THEM.
>> SO WAIT A MINUTE. THEY WERE BEING TOLD TO SEND MALE RELATIVES TO TAKE THEIR JOB -- THEIR JOBS?
>> AS LONG AS THEY CAN DO THE JOB, THEY SHOULD SEND THEM. >> A YEAR AGO MARCH, THE TALIBAN ANNOUNCED THAT GIRLS' SCHOOLS
WOULD REOPEN. GIRLS FLOCKED IN, ONLY TO BE TOLD HOURS LATER TO GO HOME AND STAY THERE.
>> ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA WERE VIDEOS OF THESE YOUNG GIRLS CRYING. AND THEN I WAS SO MAD ON
EVERYBODY FOR -- FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING. >> YOU MEAN THE REST OF THE WORLD?
>> THIS BUNCH OF MEN HAS TAKEN THE CONTROL OF AN ENTIRE COUNTRY, AND THEY ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT.
>> WOMEN HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO COVER THEMSELVES HEAD TO TOE AGAIN. THEY'RE BANNED FROM PUBLIC
PARKS. AND JUST MONTHS AGO BANNED FROM UNIVERSITIES AS WELL. HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.
AND IF THERE'S ONE MEMBER OF THE SOLA COMMUNITY WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT AFGHAN GIRLS TODAY ARE FACING, IT'S MARYAM, THE
SCHOOL'S LONGTIME CLEANING WOMAN, AND NOW SEAMSTRESS. SHE KNOWS THE POWER OF AN EDUCATION, BECAUSE SHE NEVER GOT
ONE. >> Translator: THE TALIBAN WERE IN POWER AT THAT TIME. I MEAN THE FIRST TIME THE
TALIBAN WERE IN POWER. I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO SCHOOL. GIRLS COULD NOT STUDY.
>> MARYAM, CAN YOU READ OR WRITE? >> Translator: I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, BUT I CAN'T.
IF I COULD'VE GONE TO SCHOOL, I WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY. IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME. >> BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT
MAKES HER HAPPY THESE DAYS WATCHING HER 9th GRADE DAUGHTER ZARMINA, WHO IS NOW A STUDENT AT SOLA.
TALKING ABOUT ZARMINA'S FUTURE, WE FINALLY SAW MARYAM'S SMILE. >> ARE YOU PROUD OF YOUR DAUGHTER?
>> YES, YES. YES. >> WE CANNOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SUBMIT TO
TALIBAN'S VISION FOR AFGHANISTAN. AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? IT MEANS CONTINUE TO EDUCATE
MORE AFGHAN GIRLS. >> BUT HOW? WELL, SHE'S RECRUITING THEM...OVER ZOOM...FROM AFGHAN
REFUGEE COMMUNITIES AND CAMPS IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, TO BRING THEM HERE TO RWANDA. >> WHAT SHOULD THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT BE DOING, IN YOUR VIEW? >> THE ONE THING THAT THE U.S. POLICYMAKERS CANNOT -- CANNOT
AFFORD TO DO IS TO FORGET ABOUT AFGHANISTAN. DO NOT LOOK AWAY. DO NOT LOOK AWAY FROM
AFGHANISTAN. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH. >> AND WHAT SHE WANTS THEM TO SEE, ALONGSIDE THE ONGOING
TRAGEDY IN THAT COUNTRY, IS SOLA'S VISION...EDUCATED GIRLS COMMITTED TO ONE DAY BEING LEADERS OF A DIFFERENT
AFGHANISTAN. >> WE ARE ALL AFGHANS... "WE ARE ALL AFGHANS," THEY SAY. "WE LOVE AFGHANISTAN.
WE WILL TRY OUR BEST AND WORK HARD TO IMPROVE OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY." ...TO IMPROVE OUR BEAUTIFUL
COUNTRY. >> YOU SAY THIS EVERY DAY? >> YEAH. >> WE REPEAT IT EVERY DAY THAT
IT -- IT'S STUCK IN OUR HEART. >> DO YOU ALL THINK YOU'LL GO BACK? >> YEAH, OF COURSE.
OF COURSE WE WILL GO. [ LAUGHTER ] >> IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU WON'T GO BACK TO AFGHANISTAN?
IS IT POSSIBLE? >> I SPEND EVERY WAKING HOUR PREPARING FOR A RETURN. >> IT WILL HAPPEN.
>> I'VE BORROWED A STONE FROM THE AIRPORT. I NEED TO RETURN. >> SINCE OUR STORY FIRST AIRED,
SOLA HAS CONTINUED TO BRING NEW AFGHAN STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO RWANDA, AND IS DEVELOPING AN ONLINE ACADEMY
CALLED SOLA X. AND IN JUNE, SHABANA SPOKE TO THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, URGING THE WORLD NOT TO LOOK
AWAY FROM THE PLIGHT OF AFGHAN GIRLS.
>>> I'M LESLEY STAHL. WE'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK WITH ANOTHER EDITION OF "60 MINUTES."