Program Leadership
Meetra Alokozay
Executive Director
Meetra Alokozay is a self-identified intersectional feminist from Afghanistan. Meetra earned her Bachelor’s in political science and public administration with a minor in law from the American University of Afghanistan. In 2018, Meetra joined Loyola University Chicago as an international Fulbright scholar where she earned her Master’s degree in Women’s Studies and Gender Studies.
As a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality, Meetra has been working for non-profits since high-school, with a particular focus on promoting girls education and youth empowerment. Meetra contributes to Free Women Writers blog and her recent essay was published in Welcome to the Light: Writings of Emerging Feminist Thinkers project.
Having lived and worked in Afghanistan for most of her life, Meetra recognizes the importance of Education in helping improve girls’ lives in Afghanistan and supporting them in their journey of self- empowerment. Meetra believes Afghan women do not need saviors, they only need global sisterhood and support as they resist and fight extremism every single day. Meetra’s advocacy work is deeply rooted in principles of equity, inclusivity, and intersectionality. Meetra is confident that her passion and knowledge will support Sahar’s mission and create opportunities of self-empowerment for girls and women in Afghanistan through educational programs.
Allie Renar
Operations & Finance Manager
A native of Seattle, WA, USA, in 2016, Allie moved to Morocco where she taught English and worked as a freelance writer. She began a French Accredited Bachelor’s program with the Federation Internationale des Establissments de Formation Professionnelle during this time. She completed her Bachelor of Business in 2018. Allie was inspired by the fortitude of women she met in Morocco and carries their stories with her to this day. She spent 3 years living in Rabat, giving birth abroad, and then began traveling full-time for 18 months while working remotely with a remote customer experience firm. She lived in places like Malaysia, Madagascar, and Mauritius with her young daughter. In 2020, she returned to Seattle at the beginning of the pandemic.
By 2022, Allie was Senior Manager of Operations for a remote company and began to look for opportunities that better suited her values. Allie is an intersectional feminist and envisions a world where all children- regardless of race, religion, or gender- live in peace and have the freedom to explore their passions through education. In 2023, Allie began publishing children’s books about her travels focusing on careers, exploration, and learning about new cultures. She began volunteering with multiple nonprofits and sought to bring her knowledge and skills to an organization making a difference in the world.
Allie was inspired by Sahar’s mission and the challenges faced to provide education to girls who are fighting to learn in Afghanistan. She says, “I am particularly passionate about the work Sahar does because I believe that until all girls globally are free to educate themselves and make their own decisions about their futures, none of us are truly free.”
Farzanah Darwish
Program Manager
Farzanah Darwish is an education practitioner and researcher committed to advancing equitable access to quality education, particularly for women, girls, and displaced communities. She holds a Master of Science in Education in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania as a UNESCO Fellow, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mathematics. She also pursued doctoral studies in Pure Mathematics at Osmania University as an ICCR Scholar. Her interdisciplinary academic background combines rigorous analytical training with expertise in international education, enabling her to bridge research, policy, and practice in addressing educational challenges in crisis and conflict-affected contexts.
Her research focuses on girls’ education, gender equity, refugee education, education in emergencies, and educational technology. She has presented her work at leading international education conferences and contributed to research and policy discussions on expanding educational opportunities for Afghan women and girls.
Driven by a lifelong commitment to educational equity, she believes education is a powerful catalyst for opportunity, resilience, and lasting social change.