Mahjabin Khanzada – Courage: From Kabul to California
Bioneers | Published: April 23, 2025 JusticeWomen's LeadershipYouth Video
When the Taliban seized power, Mahjabin Khanzada’s life changed overnight. As a translator for the U.S. embassy, she narrowly escaped, but her parents were left behind. Since 2021, she has endured profound hardship, yet she has emerged as a fierce advocate for Afghan women’s rights and a dedicated force within Project Anar, helping refugees rebuild their lives. Now, as crucial funding for refugee programs faces devastating cuts, her work is more urgent than ever. She shares her story as a reminder that Afghan women and refugees are still fighting for their futures—and the world cannot look away.
This talk was delivered at the 2025 Bioneers Conference.
Mahjabin Khanzada, a young Afghan woman, a former interpreter for the U.S. embassy, fled her homeland during the Taliban takeover in 2021 and has worked in the face of great challenges to rebuild her life in the Bay Area. She has become a passionate activist for Afghani women’s rights and an advocate for her community and has been working with the Immigration Justice organization Project Anar to help newly arrived Afghan refugees resettle successfully. Mahjabin has also worked for three years with Crescent Moon Theater Productions, sharing her story through the documentary theater project: “Hold On, When Everything Changes in a Flash.”
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Over the last 20 years, the Bioneers Youth Leadership and Education Program has served as an incubator for thousands of youth and educators to deepen their passion and power through self-expression, skills development, mentorship and deep relationship building within the broader community of Bioneers. The program has produced some of the most dynamic, engaging, and cutting edge programming within the Bioneers kaleidoscope and it continues to shape the work of youth movements, activism and education.