Afghanistan: Stories Come Back Into View
I feel sad that Afghanistan is back in the news. ... Afghanistan was never going to become Sweden, but had the world really been committed to rebuilding it after 2001, and not been distracted by Iraq, then the return of Western journalists to report again on another war might never have been necessary.
I was forced to postpone my studies at Kabul University's school of journalism during the Taliban era. Now I am 30 years old, and I have three children. I chose the career in photography because I believe that photos are a record of history, and I want to be part of that. I now work full-time as a freelance photographer for Aïna Photo, shooting everything from ministers to tanks.
A national solidarity program runs a project that loans money to women who are poor. The money comes from The World Bank, and the women pay back the loans by working in different jobs, including in a dress shop where they sew burkas. Words and photos by Gulbuddin Elham/Courtesy of Aïna Photo/Afghanistan.
The national sport of Afghanistan is buzkashi. It involves a group of men on horses trying to pick up a headless goat. Once they have the goat they must try to drop it inside the circle in the center of the field.
After the Taliban regime, the government provided money to enable some women to train as video journalists. Despite such efforts, women still have limited freedom in the Afghan media industry.
These farmers are harvesting his wheat in the springtime, choosing an alternative to the more common Afghan crop of poppies. Kunduz is one of the poorer provinces bordering the Pakistan border, where the Taliban has a strong presence.
After the Soviets left Afghanistan, a large amount of military equipment was left behind. This Russian tank fired a defective missile, destroying its cannon, which turned to rusted metal in the harsh climate. There is a new project to collect the estimated two million tons of metal for recycling.
A national solidarity program runs a project that loans money to women who are poor. The money comes from The World Bank, and the women pay back the loans by working in different jobs, including in a dress shop where they sew burkas. Words and photos by Gulbuddin Elham/Courtesy of Aïna Photo/Afghanistan.
The national sport of Afghanistan is buzkashi. It involves a group of men on horses trying to pick up a headless goat. Once they have the goat they must try to drop it inside the circle in the center of the field.
After the Taliban regime, the government provided money to enable some women to train as video journalists. Despite such efforts, women still have limited freedom in the Afghan media industry.
These farmers are harvesting his wheat in the springtime, choosing an alternative to the more common Afghan crop of poppies. Kunduz is one of the poorer provinces bordering the Pakistan border, where the Taliban has a strong presence.
After the Soviets left Afghanistan, a large amount of military equipment was left behind. This Russian tank fired a defective missile, destroying its cannon, which turned to rusted metal in the harsh climate. There is a new project to collect the estimated two million tons of metal for recycling.
