Shabana, a 51-year-old Afghan mother, lives with her three children in a small room of about 12 square meters. In this room, life flows differently than what she previously knew. She is now facing serious challenges of black work and homelessness in Italy, and sometimes her 9-year-old son gathers discarded vegetables from the market to prepare the family's dinner.
Life in the Shadow of Poverty and Homelessness
Shabana's life is an example of the fate of millions of Afghans who have been placed in difficult situations by war and poverty. As night falls, the streets of the Ahmad Shah Baba Mina area in eastern Kabul quiet down and people return to their homes. Meanwhile, Shabana steps outside with the same constant worry: "What will my children eat tonight?"
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Shabana goes to work in other people's homes every day. She cleans floors and sometimes lights the oven for some. However, her wages barely reach 150 Afghanis. On many days, she doesn't even find this opportunity to work, which increases her worries and exhaustion. On days when she has no work, she has to find a way to get a few pieces of dry bread for her children.
The Pain of Loss and Financial Insecurity
Shabana's life was not always like this. Her husband, who worked for the Ministry of Education, was the breadwinner of the family until he lost his life in a suicide attack in Kabul on May 31, 2017. This event not only changed her life but also placed the responsibility of caring for her three children on her shoulders.
The explosion in the streets of Kabul severely affected Shabana's life. Her husband's salary was cut off, and she had to bear the entire burden of the family's expenses alone. After this incident, the then-government provided limited financial assistance to the families of the victims, but this aid was also halted with political changes and the fall of the republic on August 15, 2021.
Now, Shabana faces compounded pain and hardships. She has visited various offices to receive her designated salary again, but her efforts have been in vain. According to one official from the Taliban's Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, the process of registering martyrs needs to be reviewed and the documents examined.
Currently, Shabana's monthly living expenses are estimated to be at least 8,000 Afghanis. She faces serious financial challenges, and if she works daily, her income will only reach 4,500 Afghanis, which is far from meeting her family's basic needs.
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