Update from Charmaghz

Dear friends, supporters, and partners,

We’re excited to share that Liz Robinson will serve as Charmaghz’s next CEO, effective March 18th, 2026. At that time, Freshta Karim will transition from her active role as Director. While she plans to support Charmghaz from the background, she will be stepping away from a full-time position and taking some time away from work.

Since founding Charmaghz in 2018, Freshta has led the organization with extraordinary vision, courage, and persistence. Over the last eight years, Charmaghz has built a strong reputation for consistently delivering education programs shaped by community needs in challenging contexts.

The past few years have required resilience and difficult decisions. As operating realities in Afghanistan shifted, Charmaghz navigated programmatic changes, including the closure of our Mobile Libraries in 2025, and began designing a new direction for our work. Throughout this period, Liz worked closely alongside Freshta to stabilize operations, strengthen systems, and ensure continuity for our team, partners, and beneficiaries. Together, they guided the organization through a challenging transition with care and integrity.

Today, Charmaghz is in a strong position to launch its new programs, deliver high-quality programming for Afghan girls and young women, and pursue long-term organizational sustainability. 

Liz has been with Charmaghz for four years and has been a pivotal member of the leadership team. Initially joining as a volunteer in 2021, she quickly became central to fundraising, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and organizational development. Her systematic approach to building strong internal structures has helped the organization grow, expand partnerships, and secure sustainable funding streams.

Liz is deeply trusted by Charmaghz’s team and Board and is respected across our ecosystem of funders and partners. She brings a decade of experience working with social impact organizations across South Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa, alongside a deep commitment to advancing educational opportunities for children. Liz holds a BA from Tufts University, an MA from University College London, and a Graduate Certificate in Early Grade Reading in Developing Countries from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her leadership reflects both strategic clarity and care for the people at the heart of our work.

Freshta’s fingerprints will always be present throughout Charmaghz. The organization’s credibility, community trust, and strong foundation are the direct result of her leadership and unwavering belief in the power of education. It is because of that foundation that we are able to carry this work forward with confidence.

We are deeply grateful to Freshta for her years of service and vision, and we are excited for the next phase of Charmaghz under Liz’s leadership. We remain committed to our mission and to the communities we serve.

Thank you for walking alongside us through every chapter of this journey. We look forward to continuing this work together.

With appreciation,
The Charmaghz Team