22 Aug Team Afghanistan 2025 🇦🇫
Team Afghanistan, known around the world as the Afghan Dreamers, started with six girls in a small workshop who simply wanted to prove that Afghan girls could build robots and compete internationally. What began as a dream has since grown into a movement, and over 200 Afghan girls have now learned robotics, coding, and STEM skills through our team. For us, every robot built is also a message of hope that talent and creativity can thrive even in the hardest circumstances.
This year our team is represented by five determined students who carry those hopes with them. Maede Ansari loves robotics design and dreams of becoming an engineer who solves real problems. Neda Barakzai focuses on programming and wants to inspire other Afghan girls to discover their love for science. Ghazal Salehi is full of creative ideas and problem-solving energy, eager to innovate for her community. Satayesh Esmaily is curious about engineering and determined to use technology for practical, everyday solutions. Latifa Mozafari is motivated to keep learning and share her skills with other girls in her hometown. Together, we represent not only ourselves but the many Afghan girls who cannot be here but share the same dreams.
Although our team is currently based in Toronto, Canada, we proudly carry Afghanistan in our hearts and represent Afghan girls everywhere. We are guided by mentors who have walked this path before. Alireza Mehraban is the co-founder of Afghanistan’s National Robotics Team. Elnaz Masoudian is a software engineer with a Master’s in Information Security. Elham Salehi is a life coach who helps us stay confident and strong. Despite the challenges in Afghanistan, we continue teaching robotics online to girls across the country and helping them apply for scholarships to keep studying.
For us, the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge in Panama is more than a competition. It is proof that Afghan girls belong in science and innovation, that we can learn, share, and compete just like anyone else. We go to Panama not only to build a robot, but to build connections, bring back knowledge, and inspire the next generation of Afghan girls to dream even bigger.
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