In a recent interview with Die Welt, a German newspaper, Women for Women International coordinator spoke about how everyday life has changed for her and other women in Afghanistan since last August.
She can no longer travel freely and has to wear a burqa.
"Everything has changed," she told Die Welt.
"I remember the day when they took power: it was 10:30 in the morning, I was in the office. Suddenly we heard that the Taliban have taken over the center of Kabul. We all went home immediately. After that, a difficult time began, the Taliban also occupied our office. That was scary. After that, I and many of my colleagues had to constantly change our location so that the Taliban couldn't find us. At the moment, we all only leave the house when it is absolutely necessary – me, for example, to go to the office. Apart from that, my parents hardly ever let me out the door anyway, they are afraid for me because I work for an NGO. One can say: At the moment we are only breathing, we are not living."
In addition to restrictions and mandates by the de-facto government, Samira worries for her fellow people who are starving but remains hopeful for a better future.
"At the moment, hunger is one of the biggest problems. Every day people starve, some sell their children to survive. [...] I just hope that people outside Afghanistan don't forget us.
If I have to imagine what Afghanistan will be like in ten years, then I wish that our economy would be stable and that everyone could afford food, clothing, and a home. And that all Afghans, men, and women, have the same rights."