Our Work
afghan women’s book club
For Afghan girls confined to their homes, a weekly book club session is often the only window to the outside world.
our mission
The Afghan Women’s Book Club’s mission is to help young Afghan women build the skills, mindset and resilience to cope with the daily challenges of confinement and repression, and to build a support network of bright and motivated students who share a common vision of pursuing their education.
active book club groups
students reached so far
what we read
Sample of books chosen to build confidence and perspective.
Through the exploration and discovery of the ideas presented in the books we study, we discuss different perspectives and paradigms that will strengthen our students’ growth mindset.
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
- The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
clips from our sessions
A space to read, think, and speak freely
meet our instructors
The volunteer educators guiding our weekly sessions in reading, language, and reflection
Cynthia Shore
1st Book Club · Professional Writer & Editor · Santa Fe, New Mexico
Cynthia worked for decades as a professional writer and editor and remains an avid reader of all kinds of books. Having lived all over the world, she now calls Santa Fe, New Mexico home — a place she loves for its culture and natural beauty. She is the proud mother of two grown children and brings warmth, insight, and a genuine love of literature to every session. A lifelong love of books and a career built around the written word gave her a deep belief in literature’s power to connect people across cultures and distance, which is what drew her to help create a space where Afghan women could find that same sense of connection, confidence, and community through reading. As the founding instructor of the Afghan Women’s Book Club, Cynthia leads our very first book club, guiding students through meaningful discussions that strengthen their English, build confidence, and foster community.
Cindy Piatt
2nd Book Club · American English Instructor · Book Club Facilitator
Cindy is a native English-speaking instructor from the United States who leads our weekly Book Club sessions with enthusiasm and care. Each week, the group reads English-language books together, discussing one chapter at a time to build speaking and comprehension skills as a community; there is no fixed timeline, and the group simply moves on to the next book once the current one is finished, with each participant receiving a certificate after completing a book. Cindy is excited to lead these sessions, sharing her love of language and storytelling with her students and building both confidence and connection one chapter at a time.
Martha Baker
3rd Book Club · Community Volunteer · Bay Area & Santa Fe
Martha is a passionate reader and dedicated community volunteer with a love for literature, opera, and cultural exchange. Her journey spans from the San Francisco Bay Area to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she actively supports local nonprofits and participates in multiple book groups of her own. Her lifelong participation in book groups and her deep involvement in community and nonprofit work naturally led her toward the Afghan Women’s Book Club, where her love of cultural exchange and belief in the power of shared stories could meet meaningful service. Martha brings warmth, insight, and a genuine passion for learning to every session, currently leading our third book club and guiding Afghan students through discussions that strengthen their English, build confidence, and foster community.
Tonia Caselman, PhD
4th Book Club · Licensed Clinical Social Worker · Professor Emeritus, University of Oklahoma
Tonia Caselman, PhD, is a licensed clinical social worker and Professor Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma School of Social Work. She now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her two rescue dogs. When she’s not working, she enjoys gardening, hiking, creating mosaics, entertaining friends, and practicing comedy and improv. An avid traveler, Tonia has visited more than 30 countries. A lifelong feminist, Tonia’s interest in the Afghan book club is deeply rooted in her commitment to women’s rights, social justice, and the values of social work. She is especially drawn to opportunities that support and amplify the voices, experiences, and dreams of Afghan women.
Khaoula Medjedel
5th Book Club · TEFL & Applied Linguistics · International English Instructor
Khaoula is an experienced English Language Instructor with a background in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Applied Linguistics. Her teaching journey has taken her from university classrooms in Saudi Arabia to online sessions with learners in Afghanistan and Gaza, reflecting a consistent commitment to students facing extraordinary circumstances. That international journey, paired with her genuine love for cross-cultural dialogue, made the Afghan Women’s Book Club a natural extension of the work she already cared about. She brings warmth, insight, and a genuine love for cross-cultural conversation, helping students grow in both their language skills and their confidence.
Lauren Jones
6th Book Club · Facilitator & Educator · Coordinator, Afghan Women’s Book Club
Lauren Jones is the Coordinator leading our sixth Afghan Women’s Book Club session. She is an experienced facilitator and educator who is passionate about empowering others through literature, dialogue, and self-reflection, bringing a background in community engagement and personal development that translates powerfully into the context of Afghan women navigating extraordinary circumstances with resilience and courage. In a country where women have been stripped of their right to education, Lauren believes her weekly sessions offer something rare: a space to read, reflect, and speak freely — and that belief is what brings her back to lead this club every week.
book club administrator
Mursal
Mursal is the person who makes sure that windows stays open. As Administrator of the Afghan Girls’ Book Club, Mursal leads the daily coordination that keeps the program alive — connecting moderators, coordinators, and students, organizing new groups, and ensuring every session runs with the structure and care it deserves. Her steady, hands-on leadership has turned a small pilot project into a growing lifeline for young women who have been shut out of classrooms and public life.
Mursal’s organizational support has also helped launch the program’s Art Therapy Project, giving Afghan girls from different provinces a creative outlet for processing what words alone cannot express — a new and necessary form of mental health support in a moment when so many other doors have been closed.
Her work is a reminder that resilience is built one session, one book, one connection at a time — and that behind every thriving book club is someone making sure it never stops meeting.
Support Book clubs
If you wish to support the expansion of book clubs, please note “book club” on your donation