Afghanistan names school after illiterate dad who walked daughters 12 kilometres to school
- Mia Khan, who suffers from heart disease, went viral recently for taking his daughters to the only girls’ school in the area every day
- Calling him a ‘hero of education’, the Afghan government said a new school would be built in Khan’s village to honour his commitment to his daughters’ education
Mia Khan, a 63-year-old resident of Sharana in Paktika province, went viral on social media for taking his daughters to the only girls’ school in the area in the hopes they would one day become doctors.
The ministry of education said in a statement on Thursday that the school would be built in Khan’s village, calling him “the hero of education” for devoting himself to his daughters’ schooling.
On Wednesday, Mirwais Balkhi invited Khan to his office and described the man’s efforts as an inspiration for overcoming obstacles in the education of girls in Afghanistan, especially those living in remote areas.
Khan, who suffers from heart disease, said he and his daughters travelled most often by foot to the school, though they occasionally used a motorbike.
