“Being a woman in Afghanistan is already a challenge,” said Nilofar*. “Being a woman pursuing a professional career is even more difficult.”
Nilofar, a dedicated nurse, is committed to bringing nutrition and maternal health services closer to women and children across Afghanistan.
"All women in Afghanistan should be well informed about the basic services available to them,” she said. “They should have unrestricted access."
Nilofar is driven by a sense of purpose. She grew up in Charikar City, the capital of Parwan Province, in a family that encouraged education. After training as a general nurse, Nilofar discovered her passion in maternal and child health while working with a non-governmental organization (NGO).
For the past six years, she has been working with different organizations to provide essential healthcare services. These include a wide range of services, from medical check-ups, prenatal and postnatal care, vaccinations to advising families on preparing affordable and nutritious meals. Most of her patients are mothers and children aged under five, in the country's capital region, which includes six provinces.
For four of the six years, Nilofar travelled with mobile health and nutrition teams, navigating remote areas to reach isolated communities. "On the map, some of these areas don’t seem far from Kabul, lots of communities are very isolated," she explained. "Many villagers are still unfamiliar with the term vaccination."
