'They have saved our dreams': Members of all-female Afghan robotics team land in Mexico

The team was part of a refugee cohort that also included more than a hundred media workers.

Mexican minister Martha Delgado (C) hugs two Afghan refugees part of an all-girls robotics team Source: EFE

Five members of an all-girl Afghan robotics team and more than a hundred media workers arrived in Mexico, fleeing an uncertain future at home after the recent collapse of the US-backed government and takeover by the Taliban.

The safe arrival of the robotics team in Mexico on Tuesday was made possible by an "extensive international effort and coordination from a group of volunteers" who helped the girls, according to a volunteer who requested anonymity for fear of the safety of the families that remain under Taliban control.

Mexico has pledged to aid Afghan women and girls.

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on 18 August that the country was processing refugee applications of Afghan citizens, especially women and girls, with the aid of Guillermo Puente Ordorica, the Mexican Ambassador in Iran.

A member of the all-women robotics team during a press conference at the Mexico City International Airport Source: EFE

Mr Ebrard said the decision to offer refuge followed a long tradition of Mexico welcoming people fleeing persecution.

Other members of the robotics team landed in Qatar in recent days.

The robotics team, made up of women and girls as young as 14, has been heralded for winning international awards for its robots and started work in March on an open-source, low-cost ventilator as the coronavirus pandemic hit the war-torn nation.

"They have not only saved our lives, but they have also saved our dreams," one of the group said of Mexico. 

"Our stories will not sadly end because of the Taliban … under this regime, we women will face difficulties...that is why we are grateful to be here," she said.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last week as the United States and its allies, including Australia, withdrew troops from the country. 

The White House and US allies are racing to complete the evacuation of all foreigners and vulnerable Afghans before a 31 August deadline agreed with the Taliban, US President Joe Biden said this week.

The Taliban, which previously barred girls from schools and women from working when they ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s, has promised to prioritise women's rights and girls' education.

With AFP.