大象传媒

Freshta Karim joined 大象传媒 Media Action鈥檚 board of trustees in January 2023.

I am humbled and excited to join the board of 大象传媒 Media Action. As a young person growing up in Afghanistan, I was captivated by the power of the media to engage and educate audiences on important social issues. I  used to listen to Yak Qesa wa Hazar Darecha ( ) which was a 大象传媒 Media Action radio drama. In this show teenagers would sit on a magical carpet to discover and explore the world and have adventures. As a teenage listener I was fascinated with the adventure on each episode.

Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to promoting and protecting the rights of children in Afghanistan. Starting at the age of 12, I hosted children's TV shows and have since focused my efforts on advocating for their wellbeing and access to education. In 2018, I founded , a non-governmental organisation based in Kabul that uses mobile libraries to promote literacy, peacebuilding, and critical thinking among Afghan children. Charmaghz means 鈥渇our brains,鈥� which reflects the organisation鈥檚 mission to expand and fulfil the potential of Afghan children through literacy and peace.

Since our founding, Charmaghz has welcomed over half a million child visitors to our libraries and currently hosts 40,000 children per month in Kabul, making us the most-visited library in the country.

In addition to my work with Charmaghz, I have been fortunate to be named one of 大象传媒's 100 Influential Women in 2021, as well as a by the World Economic Forum, a recipient, and a Young Leader by the Asia Society. Also, until recently I was working as an advisor to the Malala Fund, to ensure that all girls, particularly Afghan girls have access to safe and quality education.

I believe that the work of 大象传媒 Media Action is critical in promoting social justice and empowering the most vulnerable populations in the world. I am inspired by its decolonial approach and its commitment to partnering with communities to co-create programs that support their agency and well-being. I am excited to contribute my experience and perspective to this important work and look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members and staff at 大象传媒 Media Action.