Herat

A collection of 36 posts

Natural Disaster

After Quake, A City of Tents

A devastating pair of earthquakes coupled with numerous aftershocks starting on the morning of October 7 in Afghanistan’s Herat province has left 1,300 people dead, and more than 17,000 others affected.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Afghan Glassblower Keeps Art From Dying

Ghulam Sakhi has been a glassblower in western Afghanistan’s Herat province for 40 years, but this craft has been a part of his family for generations. Sakhi now harbors the fear that the artform will perish with him; his final wish, after his passing, is for the art to survive.

Drought

Water Scarcity: A Growing Concern

Water scarcity is one of the main issues villagers face in Kalar, a village in Andkhoy district of Afghanistan’s western Herat province. The village is home to 150 families with access to one well and a small stream for drinking water.

Education

Maktab: This School is Always Open

A mobile distance learning application emerged as a lifeline for Afghan girls and women who were prohibited from pursuing education after the Taliban's takeover of the country in August 2021.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Portraits as Protest

Atena Sultani is a talented artist from Herat who, through her paintings, strives to reflect the voices of girls deprived of education and women deprived of work after the fall of the previous Afghan government in August 2021.

Health

Mental Illness, A Silent Enemy

Mental illness has plagued Afghanistan for decades due to war and despite a relative peace returning to the country, unemployment, poverty, and uncertainty about the future continues to exacerbate the effect of mental illness on Afghans.

Health

The Blind See More Than We Realize

In Afghanistan, although roughly five percent of the population are visually impaired, ignorance and intolerance by their peers often lead to discrimination and limited opportunities. However, some like Abdul Jalil Shirzad, have found their place in society.

OneDayinAfghanistan

The 102 Year Old Afghan Leathersmith

One of the oldest man in western Afghanistan’s Herat province keeps one of the most ancient professions alive.

Unemployment

No Jobs, No Food, No Hope

Afghans across the country lament the lack of employment while voicing concern over the increasing poverty.

Narcotics

Afghan Drug Crisis, in the Words of Users

Rampant poverty and the increasing unemployment rate, due to Afghanistan’s continuing economic crisis are playing a major role in the increase in the number of people with a substance use disorder. In Badakhshan alone, users have increased from 40,000 to 50,000 in the last year and a half.

Weather

Between Life and Death in Winter's Cold

Afghans across the country endured an unprecedented cold snap in January that left dozens of people and thousands of livestock dead.

OneDayinAfghanistan

The Apple Farmer Serving Travelers

Mahram Ali’s farmstand is the last stop before reaching a popular park along a highway connecting two of Afghanistan’s western provinces, Herat and Badghis, make it popular for tourists and locals alike.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Grapes Feed Families

Basir Ahmad Darwishi has worked as a raisin processor in western Afghanistan’s Herat province for the past 20 years. His business employs over a dozen locals annually, a vital resource considering the country’s economic situation.

Economy

Figs Are Not Enough

Farmers in Zinda Jan, the district that accounts for the majority of figs produced in Afghanistan’s Herat province, lament the lack of demand and inaccessibility to international markets.

Disability

Disability, Afghanistan’s Hidden Scourge

The lack of government resources for disabled Afghans has left this marginalized group to fend for themselves, while the discrimination, humiliation and disrespect they face on a daily basis just adds salt to their wounds.

Culture

Fashion Changes with the Government

Afghans are transitioning more and more towards wearing Afghan clothes following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August of 2021.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Honey; There is Honey

Guncha Gul Karimi is an inspiring businesswoman who started a honey production & processing factory in western Afghanistan’s Herat province 13 years ago.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Distillery Hopes Afghans Go Local

Afghan factory producing distilled products hopes that business revitalizes throughout Afghanistan. The factory owner says support for local produce is needed for factories to stand on their feet.

OneDayinAfghanistan

A Farmer's Day

Abdul Basir Baqizada has been a farmer since he was 15. He has provided for his family’s expenses through this trade/skill for the past 25 years.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Young Carpet Weaver Makes Beautiful Designs

Zaynab is an Afghan carpet weaver keeping the tradition and culture alive. She knows patterns by memory and has worked in the industry for more than six years.

Economy

Worn Out Currency; Another Problem Afghans Have to Face

Doing everyday business is becoming harder for cash-strapped Afghans in Afghanistan’s western Herat as the number of worn-out, over-used bills increase daily.

OneDayinAfghanistan

Afghan Shepherd Faces Economic Collapse & Drought

For this episode of One Day in Afghanistan, we have gone to the far reaches of western Afghanistan to bring you a short story about a shepherd’s life in the #Afghan countryside.

Economy

Herat Industries in Nine Month Freefall

The Herat industrial town in Afghanistan lost a significant portion of its factories following the Taliban takeover of the country in mid-August of last year.

Food

Traditional Herati Restaurant Attracts Customers with Poetry and Food

Mawlana is a restaurant in Afghanistan's western Herat province, not only serving food, but has a small library dedicated to poems by Mawlana Jalaluddin Balkhi, otherwise known as Rumi.

OneDayinAfghanistan

The Lives Impacted by Taliban Takeover

Following Taliban's ban on live music in Afghanistan, a huge number of Afghan musicians earning an income by playing at events, lost it and now have to take care of their families using minimal resouces available