Educating Girls in Afghanistan
When the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, the Duoto family watched in horror as desperate people fell from airplanes. When girls were denied a secondary education, Jill and her family decided to act. Their family-owned private school started an American High School Diploma program for Afghan girls, which today numbers over 300 students. With help from Mr. Timothy Stiven, a teacher from Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, they raised money to support an underground, hybrid school in which girls attend classes in-person and meet with students and teachers in the U.S. online.
Flowers for the Future - Educating Girls in Kabul, Afghanistan
We teamed up with Canyon Crest Academy teacher Timothy Stiven who had started a peer-to-peer education program with a secret school in Kabul. With a grant from World Bank, we bought 150 laptops and modems and paid the teacher salaries and operating expenses for a high school diploma program for girls. Forty students have received diplomas and the lucky one’s are studying in universities in the U.S. and abroad.
Jill helped six of our Afghan students from Kabul to receive full scholarships to the University of New Haven in Connecticut. They are all Honor Roll students on a pre-med track. Pictured here on the right are Aqila, Ana, Madiha, Shahla and Rana. They will defy the Taliban with their education!
Jill Duoto and Tim Stiven with members of Flowers for the Future at Canyon Crest Academy. They meet with the students in Kabul every week on Zoom to provide peer-to-peer education and friendship. Tim was a top 10 finalist for the Global Teacher Prize this year.
Our Story
It all started in March 2022 when Mohammad Jan contacted the school about a scholarship for him and his sister Aqila. Their father was wanted by the Taliban, and house-to-house searches were forcing them into hiding. Aqila had worked with an American NGO for the empowerment of Afghan women. This association also put her on a Taliban enemy list. Jill Duoto and her son Nick decided to help the family of 8 to escape to safety in Pakistan. After several more months, Aqila and Mohammad arrived in San Diego and lived with the Duoto Family while they finished their high school diplomas.
Sattar with his team’s soccer trophy and little sister Elinaz.
The family’s first view of the Pacific Ocean
Mujtaba was stabbed and poisoned by a gang of Taliban to prevent him from taking the Afghan college entrance exam on which he was expected to earn the highest score in the nation. Today he lives in Oceanside, owns a car, works and attends Palomar college. He supports himself and his family back in Afghanistan. He recently earned 104% in his college Calculus class!
After two years of waiting in Pakistan and worrying about their fate, Aqila and Mohammad’s family arrived in San Diego. The Duoto family sponsored them through a U.S. State Department program called “Welcome Corps”. The parents and six other children were given asylum status and started their new lives in San Marcos.
Meet Our Family
Dr. Michael Duoto, EdD
Dr. Mike received his doctorate in Leadership from the University of San Diego (USD). He served as the high school principal of the Singapore American School and the International School of Curitiba, Brazil. He is pictured with Shahla, Rana, and Ana from our school in Kabul.
Bryan Duoto, PhD
Bryan recently earned his PhD in Nanoengineering from UCSD. He works in biotechnology and consults on math, science and technology education. Bryan was born in Singapore.
Jill Duoto, MEd (Director)
After working in international schools in Japan, Singapore, Brazil and Colombia with her husband Mike, in 2002 Jill started a private school in San Diego which she ran for 23 years. She is a curriculum specialist and holds a M.A. in Education and B.A. in political science from U.C. Berkeley. She is pictured here with Yeva, our Ukrainian refugee student and in Jinhua, China at our sister school.
Nick Duoto (President)
Nick has been working in education for 12 years as the Assistant Director of a private high school and guidance counselor. He holds a college counseling certificate from UCSD and a B.S. in Kinesiology from SFSU. Nick was born in Kobe, Japan.
Bobby Duoto
Bobby earned his BS in Political Science at Santa Clara University in 2025. He is currently a law student at U.C. Davis. Bobby volunteers as a government teacher to the girls in Afghanistan and is a Welcome Corps sponsor.
Sandy Rosenthal
Jill’s mother celebrating her 93rd birthday. Sandy studied nutrition and dietetics at the University of Wisconsin. She is a Welcome Corps sponsor. She is pictured here with Madrone, Bryan, Bobby, Nick, Carter and Nolan.