About Zaban
Reconnecting to roots through language
For many Afghan immigrants and refugees, the journey of settling abroad is a challenging one. In many cases, the family focuses on learning the language of their new home, and the language which they spoke in Afghanistan becomes faded. When Afghan children of the diaspora grow older, many feel a lack of connection to the older generation of Afghans and to their homeland Afghanistan as well, due to the lack of knowledge of the language. Though they may want to begin to learn or improve their language skills, it is often too late, as resources are scarce, and often intended for younger children.
Zaban’s mission is to bridge the gap between Afghan immigrant and refugee groups and the Afghan youth in diaspora through creating a platform which provides the necessary tools and resources to learn and improve their skills in Farsi, one of the many languages of Afghanistan.
ZABAN recognizes the importance of staying connected to one’s roots and culture, and aims to provide a space for Afghans and non-Afghans who would like to learn and improve their Farsi skills to do so effectively, and in the form of a community.
Bridging gaps in the Afghan community through Zaban (language)
Empower Youth
To empower young Afghans living abroad to learn and improve their knowledge of the Farsi language in order to reconnect with their culture and roots.
Educational Resources
To gather and share valuable resources for learning Farsi, which can be accessible to everyone.
Build A Community
To create a community for Afghans living outside of Afghanistan and build knowledge together through the power of language.
A Platform For Everyone
To create a platform that provides value and knowledge to those seeking to learn Farsi, regardless of their previous knowledge or skill of the language.
Register Now For Zaban's Farsi Courses
Why Do People Trust Us?
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About Zaban's Founder
Ghazal Farkhari is an Afghan - Canadian who immigrated with her family to Canada at a very young age.
Ghazal’s childhood and upbringing was focused on prioritizing cultural and educational qualities. She studied the Farsi language from a young age with the guidance of her parents, and eventually taught the language to young students as well.
Ghazal founded ZABAN with the intention of sharing her knowledge of the language with her peers and other young Afghans who didn’t have an opportunity to learn the language as they were growing up abroad. She recognizes the passion and love that Afghans living outside of Afghanistan have for their country, and understands the challenges they face as they live between two cultures, languages and lifestyles. She is driven by a desire to create opportunities and empower young Afghans to reconnect with their culture and heritage; and she believes that knowledge of the language is an essential part of that process.
Ghazal earned her BA in International Development Studies from the University of Toronto and her MA in International Development from York University. She currently works as a program coordinator for the Global Development department at the University of Toronto. In her free time, she explores Afghan themed digital art (rasmorawaj.com) and teaches Farsi to students enrolled in ZABAN Institute.