Meet Your Neighbors
Mass Afghan Alliance’s Spotlight on Afghan Women event brought together inspiring Afghan women leaders, advocates, and community members to discuss resilience, empowerment, and the ongoing challenges Afghan women face. Through powerful storytelling and insightful discussions, the event highlighted the importance of advocacy, solidarity, and action in supporting Afghan women globally.
See pictures and read about our guests below.
Special Guests
Sola Mahfouz
Born in Afghanistan Sola Mahfouz immigrated to the U.S. in 2016 to attend college. She is currently a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University Quantum Information Group. In her free time she is focusing on reading and studying different styles of fiction, as well as writing about the rugged homeland she has left behind. She is the author of Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for an Education. All Attendees to Receive a Free Copy of Sola's Book!
Jodi Hinton
Jodi Hilton is an independent photojournalist, writer and educator whose work is focused on migration, minorities and marginalized groups. During a decade living abroad, she followed the refugee flows through the Middle East and Europe, working for numerous US and European publications. She is also a volunteer helping to resettle Afghans-at-risk. She and Behishta Kabir collaborated to create the augmented-reality portrait series Welcome Home, using photography and video to show how the town of Harvard welcomed two large families from Afghanistan, including the Kabir family.
Behishta Kabir
Behishta presents an interactive photography exhibit that tells the story of how the Harvard, MA community has welcomed two families who fled Afghanistan during the evacuation of Afghanistan. The photography is the work of 2024 Bromfield graduate Behishta Kabir and photojournalist Jodi Hilton. Behishta has continued her studies at Middlesex Community College, Bedford. To view and hear the augmented reality images, bring a smartphone with earbuds and with the app ARTIVIVE installed.