My name is Asli Asghar Wazir, and I belong to the tribal district of South Waziristan. I have completed an MBA in Finance and an MSc in Supply Chain Management. My late father was a strong and voluntary supporter of female education and women’s empowerment. The Taliban were against women’s rights and girls’ education and repeatedly threatened my father to stop supporting these causes. However, my father stood like a rock for female education and women’s rights.

Due to this struggle, my family members were martyred. Following my father’s mission, I am now continuing the same work by supporting female education, women empowerment, and orphans in South Waziristan, Wana. I am running a boys’ school voluntarily to educate the new generation and am struggling to establish a girls’ high school, as there is no girls’ school in the area. My vision is to see pens in the hands of children, not rifles, and to replace fear with education and hope.

Because of my social work, I was once shot by terrorists; by the grace of Allah, the bullet hit my right leg and I survived. Since then, I have been moving from one city to another to save my life, while continuing my social welfare work. I have not married yet because I have dedicated my life to female education and women’s empowerment, which was my parents’ dream.

I have worked with various international NGOs, including projects supported by BMGF, but later had to leave my job due to serious life threats at my duty station and shifted to Islamabad for safety. Even now, I continue to face threats, but my struggle continues. It would be an honor for me to serve if given the opportunity, as I truly believe in humanity. I have no family left in this world; IGC is my family.