Matiullah Wesa, born in 1993, is an Afghan education activist from Maruf District, Kandahar Province of Afghanistan. He grew up in a family of community leaders; his father opened the first girls’ school in Maruf in 2003.

In 2002, when he was nine years old, the Taliban burned down his school, forcing his family to move to Kabul. He later pursued higher education in India, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Pune University and a Master’s degree in Human Rights from Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.

In 2009, Matiullah founded the volunteer organization Pen Path Foundation, becoming a leading advocate for girls’ education in Afghanistan. In 2014, He launched the “One Book for Peace” campaign to establish 40 schools in rural areas. His motorcycle campaign took him to 34 provinces and 352 districts, promoting education, peace, and human rights. By 2017, He had reached over six million people across Afghanistan.