By Hammad Kahlun
Scandinavian News Agency
SOLA Funding Questions Highlight the Need for Transparency
Questions about SOLA funding, student enrolment and educational outcomes require careful examination of publicly available evidence, financial records and the organisation’s own disclosures.
The School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), founded by Shabana Basij-Rasikh, provides educational opportunities for Afghan girls through a boarding school in Rwanda and its online learning platform, SOLAx.
Claims circulating about approximately $63 million in fundraising and differing student figures should be assessed against reliable financial documents and clearly defined enrolment data.
The available information reviewed for this article does not independently establish the reported $63 million total or demonstrate that the figures of 44,000 and 20,000 refer to the same period, programme or category of students.
What Is Known About SOLA’s Educational Work?
SOLA began its work to expand educational opportunities for Afghan girls and operated a boarding school in Kabul before the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The organisation subsequently relocated its school community to Rwanda, where students continued their education.
According to SOLA’s official website, the organisation opened a new campus in Rwanda in 2026. It also operates SOLAx, an online educational programme launched in 2024 to reach Afghan learners who face barriers to conventional schooling.
The organisation’s published information describes a combination of in-person education and digital learning. These activities are important when interpreting student totals because the number of boarding-school pupils may differ substantially from the number of online learners registered on a platform.
Student Numbers Require Clear Definitions
The figures of approximately 20,000 and 44,000 cited in the material provided for this article raise a question that can be answered only by examining the original statements and their publication dates.
A student enrolled in a boarding school, a learner registered for an online programme and a person who has completed a course represent different measures of educational reach. Combining these categories without explanation could produce misleading comparisons.
SOLA’s published information describes SOLAx as a programme reaching tens of thousands of Afghan learners. However, confirming the precise figures cited in the allegations requires checking the relevant reporting periods, definitions, enrolment records and methodology.
Independent verification would help establish whether the figures refer to active learners, cumulative registrations, students served across multiple programmes or another measure.
Funding Transparency and Accountability
Questions about charitable fundraising should be addressed through documented evidence rather than assumptions. A reliable assessment of the reported $63 million figure would require identifying the fundraising period, the entities involved, the original currencies, and whether the amount represents donations received, pledges, grants or funds raised by multiple initiatives.
Financial transparency can also help donors understand how resources are allocated among school operations, staff, accommodation, technology, educational materials, student support and other programme expenses. A financial statement or independent audit may provide relevant information, but its scope and reporting period must be understood before drawing conclusions.
The material available for this article does not establish that funds were misused or that the organisation’s educational claims are false. Those conclusions would require evidence that has not been independently verified here.
SOLA and its representatives should have an opportunity to respond to specific questions about the reported fundraising total, student figures and the availability of audited financial statements. No response to these particular allegations was independently verified for this article.
Key Facts
- SOLA was founded to expand educational opportunities for Afghan girls.
- The organisation relocated its school community to Rwanda in 2021.
- SOLAx, its online learning programme, launched in 2024.
- The reported $63 million fundraising figure has not been independently established in this article.
- The reported enrolment figures require clarification of their dates, definitions and sources.
- SOLA Funding Questions
FAQs:
What is SOLA?
SOLA stands for the School of Leadership, Afghanistan, an organisation focused on educating Afghan girls.
Where does SOLA operate its boarding school?
SOLA relocated its school community to Rwanda after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
What is SOLAx?
SOLAx is an online educational programme launched in 2024 to expand learning opportunities for Afghan students.
Has the reported $63 million fundraising figure been verified?
The figure has not been independently verified for this article. Confirmation would require reliable fundraising records and clearly defined reporting periods.
Has financial wrongdoing been established?
No. The information reviewed for this article does not establish financial wrongdoing. Specific concerns require documentary evidence and a fair opportunity for the organisation to respond.
Why Independent Verification Matters
Afghan girls face severe barriers to education under restrictions imposed by the Taliban. Educational initiatives serving Afghan girls therefore operate in a particularly important and challenging context.
That context makes accurate reporting essential. Donors, students and the wider public need information that distinguishes documented achievements from estimates and unverified allegations.
A transparent review of relevant financial records, programme data and educational outcomes could clarify the questions raised and help the public assess the organisation’s work fairly. Any review should protect students’ personal information, particularly where disclosure could expose Afghan girls or their families to security risks.
The central issue is not whether allegations alone establish wrongdoing; they do not. It is whether the available evidence can clearly explain the money raised, the programmes delivered and the number of learners reached.
Read more about Afghan girls’ education, SOLA Funding Questions and the latest developments in international education news at SNN Finland.
About The Author
