Good People Doing Good Things — Axana Soltan

Posted on by under Good people doing good things

Axana Soltan may be only 21 years of age, but she has already done more for human rights than many of us ever do in our entire lives.  When she was only 10-years-old, Axana immigrated from her native Afghanistan to the U.S.  At the time Axana lived in Afghanistan, the Taliban controlled the country and women endured unspeakably harsh conditions and were deprived of their basic human rights like education, employment and freedom of speech. Girl’s schools were burned down, teachers were threatened and women who spoke up against their regime were flogged and executed.

Axana’s family was forced to flee the country and became refugees. Axana has spent much of her childhood in refugee camps where there was no school, no medical facilities, no electricity, heating, and not even access to the very basic life necessities such as water. After witnessing the disparities in Afghanistan, she has witnessed the harsh life in exile inside a refugee camp in Pakistan: children passing away due to preventable illnesses, children not being able to get schooling, and families begging for food just to survive.

refugee campsWhile in the refugee camps, Axana was drawn to the good works being done by UNICEF – providing education, food, medicine, and other essentials to the dispossessed in the camps. At a very early age, Axana made it her life’s mission to help people in much the same manner as UNICEF.  Just five years after arriving in the U.S., her work began in earnest – at age 15!

In 2013, Axana founded Enhancing Children’s Living (ECL), a non-profit organization whose goal is “a world in which every child lives a healthy, fulfilling life and builds into smart, creative, and healthy children.” The stated mission per their Facebook page is …

ECL-2.jpgEnhancing Children’s Living is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit philanthropic organization based in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 2013, the society is organized to be a humanitarian unit that ignites the lives of children living in destitute. The organization provides access to meal nourishment, education, advocacy, and medical care to children in and out of the country.

Enhancing Children’s Living invests in a better future, a different future. It invests in a world in which no child left behind. Where children everywhere have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. By partnering with local government, and child advocacy organizations, we ensure every child has a voice and no child feels neglected.

For the past five years, ECL has done so much good for children around the world, from putting together backpacks full of school supplies for children in Pakistan, to sending nourishing meals to children in Haiti, to buying hundreds of pairs of shoes for children coming to the United States from Afghanistan.

ECL-1Axana has achieved global recognition for her activism. On May 13th, 2017, before an audience of 2,500 people, Axana spoke against the travel ban of refugees in her Commencement Address, declaring the ban of children from the seven Muslim countries a violation of the Article 22 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She was the first Afghan-American Hero recipient on CBS and received praise from national magazines, such as Blaze and Value Magazine.

Last year, Axana graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice.

Axana aspires to become a human rights lawyer and continue her advocacy through policy to ensure that  all children, regardless of country of origin or refugee status, are awarded children’s rights protections as guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).AxanaAxana Soltan has been the energy and the inspiration behind Enhancing Children’s Living, and ECL has secured the education of over 1,700 children around the world. The organization has also been actively providing these children with thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies, hundreds of shoes, clothing and even food.

Next time you hear somebody comment on how terrible immigrants are, that they are all lazy criminals and bad for our nation, think about Axana.

“Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. Once you have determined your purpose in life, then chase after it.  In the process, please remember to help others. I strongly believe that a just and compassionate world stars with each one of us. You don’t have to be a doctor, lawyer, or a rocket scientist to make a difference in the world. There is no timeline.  Together we can create a world that places human needs and human-rights above all.”  – Axana Soltan

47 thoughts on “Good People Doing Good Things — Axana Soltan”

  1. Pingback: Debunking a Major Stereotype about Refugees – A Taste Of Haven

  4. “The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.” – David Viscott. Axana has already managed to do all three in her young life. She is truly a gift to the World, as well as giver of gifts to the World. She is an inspiration, a guiding star in a world that sorely needs them. Thank-you for sharing this lovely post!

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  5. Dear Jill,

    I do wish that the story of Axana Soltan would reach the ears and consciousness of President Trump and General Kelly. This is who they describe as coming from sh**hole countries. These folks in the White House should count themselves fortunate that they weren’t in charge when she was able to come here to the USA. Look at what we would have lost.

    Hugs, Gronda

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    • You are so right! She is among the people that he would undoubtedly label “thieves and murderers”. I, too, would love to see him and all the rest in his administration hear about this young woman’s good works!

      Hugs!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Quote: “Once you have determined your purpose in life, then chase after it. In the process, please remember to help others. I strongly believe that a just and compassionate world stars with each one of us. You don’t have to be a doctor, lawyer, or a rocket scientist to make a difference in the world. There is no timeline. Together we can create a world that places human needs and human-rights above all.” – Axana Soltan
    For me, that says it all. No one is exempt from taking personal responsibility for the way things are in the world. We can blame the elites, the MIC, or whomever, but as long as we serve them through acquiescence and apathy, they will continue to get away with murder. Consider the media that slavers after Trump and co: if no one watched, listened to or read their trash and lies, they would either die off or be forced to focus on works like those of this young human person to get their precious ratings. It’s up to us, all of us, and boycotting evil is a revolutionary act that any individual can do. Once you have determined your purpose in life, then chase after it. In the process, please remember to help others. I strongly believe that a just and compassionate world stars with each one of us. You don’t have to be a doctor, lawyer, or a rocket scientist to make a difference in the world. There is no timeline. Together we can create a world that places human needs and human-rights above all.” – Axana Soltan

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  11. Jill, thanks for featuring another self-less person in this age of selfishness. Seeing people do for others is a beautiful and needed contrast to the ego-centric man who occupied the news. Keith

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    • Thanks Keith! Yes, people like Axana help put some balance back into our psyches that can get out of whack with all the dark news these days! Hopefully she will inspire others, also!

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  12. Agree…amazing young woman.
    Interesting tidbit in your article about Axana getting mentioned in The Blaze. Isn’t that Glenn Beck’s far right publication?

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    • I wasn’t aware of Beck’s connection to The Blaze until reading your comment, so I checked and yes, he did found it in 2010! Thanks … I learned something new today! And yes, it is conservative in its reporting, but they do seem to be more conscionable than the likes of Breitbart, or InfoWars … I don’t find that they indulge in conspiracy theories and such.

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    • Quite a mixed up character , Glenn Beck , but he seems to have had a very mixed up life , it shows just how many different forces there are in the world pulling us this way and that way. It’s always difficult to make sense of life in the modern world. This remarkable young lady sets us a memorable example.

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      • Yes, Beck is rather an enigma, but so is/was O’Reilly who has written several books that were well-researched and a pleasure to read. Yes, Axana is remarkable, and I look forward to seeing where life takes her.

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