Parvana’s Resilience in Taliban-Controlled Kabul
Parvana’s Early Life in Kabul
This is the story of Parvana, an eleven-year-old girl living in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
She remembers a time when she lived in a big house, when women could walk freely in the streets, and everyone was happy. But everything changed. The Taliban had taken over Kabul, forbidding women from leaving their homes without a burqa and without being accompanied by a male relative. They suppressed independent thought and imposed their strict ideology. Everything was forbidden.
Parvana’s house had been destroyed by a bomb, and her older brother had died. Now, her family was forced to live in a small room within crumbling housing, with very few means to survive.
Father’s Arrest and Family Despair
Parvana’s father was a scholar, devoted to reading and writing letters in the market for those who were illiterate. Parvana often accompanied him, always careful not to draw the attention of the Taliban.
One day, a group of Taliban soldiers stormed their home and arrested her father without cause. Parvana and her mother searched every prison, but he was nowhere to be found. Her mother fell into a severe depression, and the family began to run out of food. Parvana and her siblings were desperate, seeing no solution.
However, one day Parvana encountered Mrs. Weera, one of her former teachers, who helped lift her mother’s spirits. Together, they devised a drastic solution, one Parvana disliked immensely: she would disguise herself as a boy. This way, she could go to the market and, having often accompanied her father, take over his work. Though not entirely convinced, Parvana accepted this role to help her family survive.
A New Identity and a Friend
After a few days, Parvana met a school friend, Shauzia, who had also cut her hair and dressed as a boy to work. They decided to work together, finding companionship in their shared plight.
However, they soon realized they weren’t earning enough. Shauzia then proposed a more unconventional idea: collecting bones. This was a grim task, but it promised more money to help their families. For Shauzia, it was also a way to save enough to escape their harsh reality.
Nooria’s Marriage and Mazar-e-Sharif
After some time, Parvana received news that her sister, Nooria, was to be married and would move to Mazar-e-Sharif, an area of Afghanistan not yet under Taliban control. Parvana, however, chose not to go with her mother, Nooria, and her two brothers. She decided to stay in Kabul with Mrs. Weera and her granddaughter, hoping for her father’s return.
A Refugee’s Arrival
One day, while Parvana was working, it began to rain. She took refuge in a house almost entirely ruined by bombs, protecting the cigarettes and chewing gum she sold. Inside, despite the darkness, she saw a girl without a burqa, not much older than her sister Nooria, crying uncontrollably. Since the girl could only weep and utter no words, Parvana decided to take her home, hoping she could at least get a warm meal and some care.
Tragic News from Mazar
Once home and calmed, the girl revealed to Mrs. Weera and Parvana that she had escaped from Mazar-e-Sharif. The Taliban had invaded the city, massacring nearly the entire population and leaving the streets filled with bodies. Parvana became distraught, consumed by fear for her mother and brothers, who were in Mazar, and the terrifying thought that they might have been killed by the Taliban.
Father’s Return
The next day, Parvana was reluctant to leave her bed. To her surprise, however, she saw her father being helped up the stairs of their house by two men. He was covered in bruises and wounds, but he was alive. Parvana was finally happy again.
A Journey of Hope
Once her father had recovered, Parvana recounted the horrific events in Mazar-e-Sharif and the fact that her family was there. Without hesitation, her father decided he would leave the very next day to search for them. Mrs. Weera, her granddaughter, and the girl Parvana had rescued remained in Kabul, waiting with hope for the family’s safe return.