From Afghanistan to America:
Pain to Power
Change Makers of the World is pleased to announce the publication of the first book by Masuda Rahmati, President of the U.S. Chapter of Change Makers of the World.
Her memoir, Pain to Power, tells the story of her life from her childhood in Kabul to the life she built in the United States. It documents war, displacement, immigration, discrimination, personal hardship, professional success, and her continuing connection to Afghanistan.
Masuda grew up in Kabul during the 1960s and 1970s. Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, her family made the difficult decision to leave the country. Her memoir describes their escape from Afghanistan, two years of uncertainty in Pakistan, and their eventual immigration to the United States.
She arrived in the United States at the age of 13 without speaking English and faced the challenge of adapting to a completely different culture and education system. She learned English, worked hard at school, later attended Monterey Peninsula College and the University of California, Santa Cruz, became a U.S. citizen, and built a professional career in real estate.
The book also documents some of the most difficult periods of her life, including discrimination, threats, family struggles, the death of her mother, and sexual assault. Rather than separating these experiences from her public work, the memoir explains how they shaped her determination to advocate for others and create change.
Advocacy for Afghan Women and Girls
Masuda’s connection to Afghanistan remained central to her life after leaving the country. She later represented Afghanistan as Mrs. Afghanistan at the Mrs. World pageant, using the international platform to draw attention to the treatment of Afghan women, the closure of girls’ schools, and the denial of educational and professional opportunities to women. Her decision brought serious risks, including threats against her.
Her humanitarian work continued after the pageant. She supported efforts to remove landmines through the HALO Trust and continued advocating for Afghan women and girls. The later chapters of Pain to Power reflect on the situation of women in Afghanistan today, what her own life and her daughter’s life might have been had her family remained there, and the importance she places on education, independence and self-respect.
Her Work with Change Makers of the World
Masuda has been part of the journey of Change Makers of the World since 2020. Over the years, she has supported our educational, humanitarian and girls’ empowerment activities in different ways.
Through Change Makers of the World, Masuda has contributed thousands of dollars, helping provide assistance to more than 30 families in Afghanistan. She has donated hundreds of books and participated as a speaker in two online seminars focused on the empowerment of Afghan girls.
After years of working alongside the organization, Masuda now serves as President of the U.S. Chapter of Change Makers of the World, helping strengthen our work and connections in the United States.
We are also pleased that Change Makers of the World and the work we have shared with Masuda are included in her book. Her relationship with the organization is part of a much larger story of maintaining a connection with Afghanistan and supporting people inside the country even after building a life thousands of kilometers away.
Pain to Power is ultimately the story of an Afghan girl who was forced to leave her country, rebuilt her life in the United States, faced difficult experiences along the way, and continued looking for ways to give back to Afghanistan.
Change Makers of the World congratulates Masuda Rahmati on the publication of her first book and is proud to have her leading our U.S. Chapter.
Get the Book
Pain to Power is available for readers who want to learn more about Masuda’s journey from Kabul to the United States, her personal experiences, and her advocacy for Afghan women and girls.
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