NOT YOUR FATHER'S TALIBAN:

When the Taliban swept into power in August, it was unclear what their rule would mean for the Internet in Afghanistan. Would they cut off Internet access? Use social media posts--or government databases--to identify and target their former enemies? Continue to wage their own increasingly effective public affairs campaigns?  

As it turned out, the Taliban did not cut off access to the Internet--at least it has not yet. Instead, for those Afghan students who can afford the Internet at home--especially women and girls, whom the regime has officially banned from secondary and higher education--online learning has become one of the primary sources of education. 

Some of this is well organized, with encrypted virtual classrooms set up by international supporters, while some is entirely self-directed--learning through YouTube videos, perhaps, or playlists of TED talks. And often it falls somewhere in between, making use of free or discounted online learning platforms. 

Code Weekend's virtual bootcamp falls into this latter category. Seventy-five participants were accepted into the cohort and are working their way through Scrimba's Frontend Developer Career Path, a series of 13 interactive video learning modules that cover everything from HTML and CSS basics to tips on handling job interview questions about JavaScript or GitHub.

Participants can complete the modules on their own time and in their own homes, with Code Weekend volunteer mentors checking in weekly to answer questions, ensure that they stay on track, and assist with logistics as needed--including providing Internet top-up to keep participants online. According to organizers, roughly 50 members of the original cohort are active. 

Ensuring Internet connectivity is just one of the logistical and financial challenges of running a bootcamp, even a virtual one, in Afghanistan. Another is contending with power outages, which become more frequent every winter. In an attempt to solve both these problems, Code Weekend has been trying to crowdfund the costs of 3G credit and backup electricity through generators and battery storage units. 

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