Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP

Five hours: Becoming a sheep

At last, I decided to apply for a passport. Everyone who had gone through the process before told me that I had to arrive at four in the morning, before sunrise—even though government offices officially open at eight. Well, at best, I managed to get there at five in the morning, just before the call to prayer. Throughout my years of working at a school, I was always part of the administration. Every morning, with nothing more than a greeting, I would organize more than one thousand students into neat lines. I am a teacher. ... Read More
Photo by STR / AFP

Five Years Waiting for a Door to Open

I put on my school uniform with excitement. I gathered my books and even took all the pens I loved with me. That day, girls across Afghanistan were taking their Grade 12 examinations, and I thought I was beginning the final stage of school—the first step toward university. ... Read More