Afghanistan vs Panama
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Afghanistan
Since 2021, Afghan girls over 12 are banned from attending school.
The Taliban's return ended two decades of progress in girls' education, affecting 1.4 million secondary-school girls.
Panama
In Panama, children from indigenous Guna communities learn to swim before they walk โ water is their first playground.
The San Blas archipelago shapes a childhood where ocean literacy comes before letters, and canoe navigation is a rite of passage.
Afghanistan
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, girls above grade 6 are banned from school and women from universities. Boys' education continues but with revised curriculum emphasizing religious studies. Before 2021, enrollment had risen from near-zero for girls to 3.5 million.
Panama
School starts at age 6. Public education is free and compulsory through grade 9. Most schools run morning or afternoon shifts due to capacity constraints. Private schools serve roughly a third of students in Panama City.
Planning a move from Afghanistan to Panama?
Get a personalised Family Integration Playbook โ your parenting style mapped to your destination's culture.
Get your playbook โ $99