Afghanistan’s courageous people haven’t given up: The world mustn’t either

Reporting from crisis-stricken Afghanistan, Islamic Relief’s Majdi Samaan reflects on the ways in which determined Afghan men and women are striving for a hopeful future.

Over clouds like cotton, gentle sun rays fall across the mountains of Bamyan. A beautiful view, harshly contrasting with the sadness on the faces of Afghan women and children.

For more than 40 years, the people of Afghanistan have suffered much injustice and, as the world advanced, they were left behind. Afghanistan depends on other countries for many things.

Wherever I go, I see the country’s scars. People live in homes ruined by bombing, the pain of what they have suffered etched on their faces. Most of the young people here are without work, dreaming only of leaving the country in search of a better life.

The destruction of homes in Bamyan.

Girls hope to return to school 

Every street corner has a sad memory. The suffering of Afghans has not yet healed, and the delay in returning girls to education has only deepened the heartache here.

Visiting one the larger cities in Afghanistan, Mazar Sharif, I learn that girls here are allowed to go to school. Elsewhere in Afghanistan however, it’s not possible. Countless girls now face an unknown future, and shortly universities will be empty of female students. Yet many families feel powerless to effect change, since demonstrations are often curtailed and meeting their short-term needs and earning a living dominate much of their time.

On my way to Bamyan province in central Afghanistan, I meet many Afghans facing the hardship of poverty, and – now the weather is turning cold – the harsh winter climate.

50-year-old Ahmad tells me that the people wanted to be free, in order to regain some of the goodness of this land, but places which could have hosted poor families had been destroyed.

Fatima, 7 years old, Nawarid katagi , Balkh province.
Dari is her favourite subject and she wants to be a Doctor in the future.

I glimpse hope that this country can stand on its feet again, as Ahmad shows me how workers are fixing and paving the roads, pointing out new buildings that are being constructed. He tells me that life will return to what was lost.

Aid has dried up and the country’s economic crisis is hitting families hard

Afghanistan is teetering on the brink of economic collapse after tens of thousands of people left the country and women were excluded from many workplaces. Gripped by a grave humanitarian crisis, Afghanistan desperately needs humanitarian funding to support vulnerable people, but the money is falling short.

I spot a group of children sitting under a tree selling fruit from their home garden. The eldest, around 13-years-old, explains they sell this small quantity of fruit to earn a little money so their family can buy some flour.

According to the United Nations, 95% of Afghans are going hungry. Children, mothers and fathers bunch together, shoulder to shoulder, to overcome hardship. Although their faces look tired, their spirits are high and they are determined to live a dignified life.

The people I meet show the kindness, respectfulness and resilience that characterise Afghan communities. Families help one another, even sharing a piece of bread, or giving sadaqqa (voluntary charity) by smiling at one another. They never give up. Mothers urge their children to learn.

Maryam,  82-years-old, lost her son 2 weeks before this photo, she is living in very harsh conditions with her grandchildren, they are suffering from the winter weather.

Women determined to build brighter futures

In Bamyan I meet Zainab, who wants her children to be part of efforts to improve life in her region. She tells me, “I will never stop encouraging my children from getting an education and developing themselves. Our children will be the builders of our community.”

She isn’t alone in her optimism. I meet other women building their own livelihoods through handmade crafts. They are creating art with their own hands. It’s easy to see why Afghanistan is already famous in this field, with carpets made here, for example, recognised as among the best worldwide.

Among these remarkable women, I meet Amina, a mother of 5 building self-sufficiency through an innovative Islamic Relief project funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Amina points out that she has passion and confidence that if she is given a chance, she will prove that she can work hard and support her family, explaining: “I don’t want to depend on aid. I can work and be an active member of the community in my village.”

She aims to open her own shop, and probably an online store for marketing her handmade products, which can fetch over $150 when sold abroad – much more than the $20 she can earn from local sales.

Amina, mother of 5, plans to open up her own shop and online store.

 Afghans need a helping hand

Halima, who is also participating in the Islamic Relief project, wants to stress the importance of empowering women, telling me: “Other women make high quality and natural dairy products. It’s good for the nutrition of their children as well as a source of income for the family. Such work, when supported properly, can help women be independent and at the same time keep the heritage of Afghanistan.”

The project, funded by the UNDP and Islamic Relief Worldwide, employs local communities to rehabilitate almost 200 agricultural irrigation systems and providing more than 158,000 families with the cash they need to buy food and other essentials.

Afghanistan has resilient and generous people that love their country – they only need a helping hand. I pray that they find the support they need to rebuild all they have lost, and to move toward a brighter future.

For more than two decades Islamic Relief has been a lifeline in Afghanistan, and as the country slides deeper into crisis we are needed more than ever. With your support, we will remain by the sides of Afghan families. Please donate to our Afghanistan Emergency Fund now.