Matiullah Wesa, founder of the “Pen Path” initiative and a well-known education activist in Afghanistan, has been awarded the international “Freedom 2026” prize.
The award was presented by the Normandy region of France and decided through a global public voting process. According to the organizers, 18,708 young people from 75 countries participated in the vote, selecting Wesa as the winner of the eighth edition of the award.
matiullah_wesa is the founder of the “Pen Path” organization, a network of thousands of volunteers working across Afghanistan to promote education, particularly in remote and underserved areas, with a strong focus on the right to education for girls.
In recent years, Wesa has faced intimidation, restrictions, and reported mistreatment by the Taliban authorities due to his advocacy for girls’ education in Afghanistan.
The “Freedom Award” is presented annually to individuals or organizations recognized for their contributions to human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the promotion of humanitarian values worldwide.