A Letter From Mujtaba Hashimi

To those who believe in the power of education,

I write this letter not as a founder presenting a product, but as a son carrying forward a promise. The story of Fanoos Academy is, at its heart, the story of my father — and of the thousands of lives he touched through the simple, radical act of teaching.

In 1996, my father, Ustad Mohammad Hashim, opened a single room in Afghanistan and began educating the children around him. He had no funding, no organization behind him, no infrastructure — only an unshakable belief that knowledge is the most powerful force on earth. That if you teach one child, you change one family. If you teach many, you change a generation.

He expanded that work in three phases — first filling his classroom, then reaching into neighboring communities, and finally carrying education into streets and open fields. He proved that a school is not a building. It is a commitment.

His guiding prayer was always رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا — “My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (Qur'an 20:114). It was not merely a phrase he recited. It was the principle by which he lived. It shaped how he taught, how he served, and how he saw the world: as a place where knowledge should flow freely to all who seek it.

I am now an American — a technologist, an educator, a business leader, and a computer scientist. I have spent my career at the intersection of technology and human potential. And I have always known that one day, I would return to my father's mission.

That day is today.

Fanoos Academy is not a nostalgic tribute. It is a bold reinvention. We are building an AI-powered education platform that can reach Afghan girls wherever they are — in Kabul, in rural villages, in refugee communities, and in diaspora populations worldwide. We are taking the spirit of a man who taught in open fields and amplifying it with the most powerful educational tools ever created.

I believe — as my father believed — that education is the one investment that can never be taken away. A girl who learns to read carries that ability forever. A girl who learns to code carries that power forever. A girl who learns to think critically carries that freedom forever.

This is not charity. This is justice. This is the restoration of a right that has been denied to millions. And it is the continuation of a mission that began in a single room, with a single teacher, and a single prayer.

If you are reading this, I ask one thing of you: believe that education changes everything. Believe that technology can carry knowledge beyond any border. And if you can, join us — with your voice, your resources, or your expertise.

The lantern is lit. Help us carry it forward.