Razia Jan, a fearless humanitarian and visionary educator who devoted her life to empowering Afghan girls through education, has died at the age of 81. Her death was confirmed by her family, who said she passed peacefully, surrounded by those who loved and admired her.
Born in Afghanistan and later becoming a proud U.S. citizen, Jan bridged two worlds with unshakable purpose. She was best known as the founder of the Zabuli Education Center — a school for girls just outside Kabul that, against all odds, has remained open and operational even after the Taliban’s return to power.
Her life was one of extraordinary courage, resilience, and compassion.
A gifted entrepreneur who once ran a successful tailoring business in Massachusetts, Jan turned her focus to humanitarian work in the wake of 9/11, founding Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation to uplift the most vulnerable in her homeland. In 2008, she opened the Zabuli Education Center, offering free education to hundreds of girls in a rural community where female literacy had long been suppressed.
“She gave our daughters the courage to dream,” said one father from the village. “Before her, school was only for boys. After her, everything changed.”
Jan’s mission was not just about books and classrooms — it was about dignity. In a region where girls’ futures were too often predetermined by poverty, tradition, and fear, she insisted that every child had the right to learn, grow, and choose her own path.
Even when the Taliban regained control in 2021 and many schools for girls were shuttered, Jan’s school remained open — a rare and remarkable exception. Through quiet diplomacy, local partnerships, and unwavering community support, the school continued to operate, a beacon of hope in a dark time.
“She never gave up,” said a teacher at the school. “She believed in us, and she believed in every girl who walked through our gates.”
Her work earned international acclaim. Jan was honored as a CNN Hero, recognized by the U.S. State Department, and invited to speak on global platforms. But she wore her achievements lightly, preferring to speak of the girls whose lives were transformed.
Razia Jan is survived by family in both the United States and Afghanistan, as well as by generations of young women whose futures shine brighter because of her.
A memorial service is being planned in Massachusetts, where she lived for much of her adult life. In Kabul, quiet prayers and tributes are being offered in the very classrooms she helped build.
Razia Jan’s legacy is written not just in accolades, but in the unbreakable spirit of every girl who dares to learn, because she once made it possible.
Rest in peace, Razia. The light you lit will never dim.