Mahbube Ibrahimi wins the Observer's Prix Courage
Mahbube Ibrahimi (20) fled to Switzerland alone; now she is helping others: Through her online school, «Wild Flower,» she teaches more than 250 Afghan women and stands up to the Taliban. She is receiving the 2025 Prix Courage for her dedication.
Mahbube Ibrahimi came to Switzerland alone at the age of 16 after her family had to flee Afghanistan. She was mentally at rock bottom, isolated herself in the transit center and learned German via YouTube. Slowly, she fought her way back. She went to high school through a support program and began teaching two Afghan girls via cell phone. This resulted in "Wild Flower". Today, over 250 schoolgirls are learning in secret, via WhatsApp or Zoom. They are defying the Taliban's ban on education and gaining new hope. "We are opening a window to the world," says Mahbube Ibrahimi.
In her laudatory speech, jury president Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf emphasized: "Mahbube Ibrahimi stands up for one of the most central rights of all young people, the right to education, despite the most difficult personal circumstances. Education is a fundamental human right. Education is the gateway to a fulfilled, self-determined life. In many countries, especially in Afghanistan, women do not have this right or only to a very limited extent. Women are marginalized. The system makes them invisible. With her aid project "Wild Flower", Mahbube Ibrahimi gives young women prospects."
However, the 20-year-old is not resting on the success of "Wild Flower". Her commitment also extends to Afghan men in the diaspora: with her second project, "Growing Together", she wants to contribute to better integration in Switzerland through workshops and promote equal rights for men and women living together.
The winner of the Prix Courage was chosen in a two-stage process. Six nominations were considered for the vote. The three nominations with the most votes from the public were presented to the six-member jury headed by former Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. The panel decided which of the three finalists would be awarded the Prix Courage.
The jury consisted of Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, former Federal Councillor and President of the Prix Courage jury, and lawyer Nora Scheidegger from the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Fribourg im Breisgau. Also on the panel were Sarah Akanji, co-founder of the FC Winterthur women's team and former Zurich SP cantonal councillor, who is currently studying for a Master's degree in social sciences in Basel, and Thomas Ihde-Scholl, head physician at the Bernese Oberland psychiatric services. The panel was completed by the author, lyricist and musician Gian-Marco "Gimma" Schmid and Chantal Britt, who won the Prix Courage 2024.
