Afghan student caring for baby inspires funding support

An Afghan mother who had to sit on the ground and nurse her baby while taking an entrance exam not only made it into college, but has won support to find funding as well.

The inspiring photo of Jahan Taab with her two-month-old was shared widely on social media.

People were impressed by the 22-year-old's determination to continue the entrance exam despite her crying baby.

Not wanting to abandon either, she decided to use the floor as a desk and cared for her baby at the same time.

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Jahan lives in the rural village of Oshto, within Afghanistan's Daykundi province. It is an area with no public transport and is around seven hours away from where she took the exam.

The young mum's dedication paid off and she passed the exam to Nasirkhosraw Higher Education Institute in Nili city.

She is hoping to get the money together to study sociology but the cost of the three-year course is between 10,000 and 12,000 Afghanis a term, which works out at around £100-120 ($140-$180).

After spotting Jahan's picture on social media, the UK-based Afghan Youth Association (AYA) is now fundraising to help her with the fees for the private college.

'Beyond expectations'

President of the the AYA, Parwiz Karimi told the BBC: "We want Jahan to be an inspiration to other women in Afghanistan."

Parwiz says women in Afghanistan are not always seen as equal to men and parents often prefer their sons to attend university.

He added: "Sitting an entrance exam whilst caring for a child is beyond expectations. She is fighting her way through those challenges".

By Kris Bramwell, UGC and Social News team