Picture story 1: Wrongs and rights
Picture story 1: Wrongs and rights
by Samira Sadat, Kabul
Women's rights activists protested in Kabul on July 11 over the recent Taliban execution in Parwan Province of a 22-year-old woman who was accused of adultery. Video of the public killing was later circulated on the internet, prompting an outcry in Afghanistan and abroad. Banners carried by more than 100 mainly female participants of the Kabul protest proclaimed "Nation, wake up!", "Why is it always women who are sacrificed?" and "Where is the protection and justice for Afghan women?" read more
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Picture story 3: Fruits of labour
Picture story 3: Fruits of labour
by Khushqadam Usmani, Faizabad
Mulberry sellers show off their harvest beside the River Kokcha in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan. The mulberry season is in full swing in the northern province, where operations range from small subsistence farming to larger commercial orchards, which export to India and Dubai. Many families make a living selling the fresh and dried fruits along the recently opened Keshim-Faizabad highway, while the leaves have a unique quality that help silkworms do their magic. read more
by Rahmat Alizada, Ghazni
Cadets who will soon join the 150,000-strong Afghan National Police (ANP) demonstrate newly acquired skills before commanders and Polish Army officers in Ghazni Province. The combined security forces have stepped up operations against militants in Ghazni, which has seen rising insurgent activity ths year, forcing the closure of schools and reportedly prompting a backlash from local communities read more
Picture story 5: Medal of honour
Picture story 5: Medal of honour
by Rohullah Nikpai/Facebook, London
Afghanistan's greatest Olympian, Rohullah Nikpai (right), presents his bronze medal before the crowd at the London 2012 Olympics. Nikpai defeated Martin Stamper of Great Britain to take the third spot in the men's 68kg taekwondo, equalling the bronze he took home from the Beijing 2008 games. "I'm delighted because this medal is very important to my country," said the fighter, who can expect a tumultuous welcome when he returns to Afghanistan. read more
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by Khalil Rahman Omaid , Helmand
Najiba, a young girl from Helmand's Marja District, pauses while collecting water from the nearest well. With her father out at work, it falls to her each day to carry full canisters 150 metres to the family home. It is heavy duty in the summer heat, but many other children are in a worse plight: UNICEF estimates that two million Afghan children are in full or part-time work, while the International Labour Organization reports that 47 per cent of brick makers are aged under 14. read more
Picture story 8: Troupes in action
Picture story 8: Troupes in action
by Samira Sadat, Kabul
Fronted by a boy waving a round naan bread, a troupe of the Afghan Mobile Mini-Circus for Children (MMCC) performs a play in Kabul in August 2012. The circus, an NGO which began working in Afghanistan in 2002, says it provides a broad programme of creative and learning activities to nurture "Afghan talents and potential." It has so far performed and conducted workshops in 16 of the country's provinces for over half a million children. Many of the organization's troupes have also toured Europe and America. read more
by Basir Seerat, Kabul
A wood dealer in Kabul. While wood is a primary source of heating for Kabul residents in winter, illegal timber smuggling in eastern Kunar Province has caused devastating deforestation, halving the area's forests in the last 30 years.The amount of timber cut each year in Kunar and Nuristan is estimated to be around seven million cubic feet. read more
Picture story 10: Out on a limb
Picture story 10: Out on a limb
by Masood Momin, Faizabad
A disabled man has unstrapped his prosthetic leg and rests on a road by the northern city of Faizabad. He is one of around 100,000 Afghans who have been provided with free artificial limbs under an international campaign to improve the lives of those with mobility handicaps. read more
Picture story 11: Follow the leader
Picture story 11: Follow the leader
by Rahmat Alizada, Ghazni
Wali Mohammad, the commander of an anti-Taliban militia formed of local residents, leads his men through Andar District in Ghazni Province, September 2012. A kind of neighbourhood watch with AKs, the armed residents' committee, led by Wali and formed of 30 men, has been fighting independently of government or foreign forces to expel the Taliban from the area since April 2012. read more
Picture story 12: Piece for peace
Picture story 12: Piece for peace
by Rohullah Rahimi, Mazar-e Sharif
Mazar-e Sharif celebrated the nationwide Afghan holiday Peace Week from September 18-25. Schools, streets and the governor's office were temporarily transformed to host exhibitions, live music, public meetings and speeches. read more
by Rohullah Rahimi, Mazar-e Sharif
A young man in Mazar-e Sharif shows off his motorbike skills in a residential area in the northern city. For many young Afghans, motorcycling and daredevil stunts are a way to let off steam after a busy week of work. Many are employed in construction and generally earn no more than $5 per day - yet they will save up for years to buy a motorcycle for several hundred dollars. . read more
Picture story 14: Practice makes perfect
Picture story 14: Practice makes perfect
by Rahmat Alizada, Parwan
South Korean Special Forces train Afghan National Police (ANP) in martial arts, first aid and close combat in Parwan Province. The training operation began on August 1, 2012 and is designed to strengthen the local forces' ability to conduct house searches and implement the law leading up to the 2014 withdrawal of foreign troops. read more
Picture story 15: Snakes alive!
Picture story 15: Snakes alive!
by Fazal Rahman Muzhary, Kabul
A crowd gather round an anti-corruption poster in Kabul, 29 Septmber 2012. The new billboard depicts corrupt officials as snakes, saying they will be treated like serpents if they exploit the duties in their roles for their personal gain. read more
Picture story 17: Punching for peace
Picture story 17: Punching for peace
by Masood Momin & Samira Sadat, Kabul
Two years ago the Afghan boxer Hamid Rahimi expressed a dream to one day hold the first ever professional boxing match in Kabul. Last night the fight became a reality as the German-based boxer faced Said Mbelwa for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title before an ecstatic crowd in Kabul. read more
Picture story 18: Hall of shame
Picture story 18: Hall of shame
by Zarwali Khoshnood, Khost
Confiscated number plates hang in warning on a tree located a kilometre from the Traffic Police Department of Khost Province. All the plates are fake and were made locally or in Pakistan’s tribal belt. Drivers in Afghanistan whose vehicles are found to be fitted with false number plates face immediate arrest and subsequent custodial sentences of three to six months, says Inayatullah Kamal, head of the prosecution department of the Attorney General’s office. read more
by Khushqadam Usmani, Faizabad
In Nusay, in Badakhshan's Darwaz District, most people make a living working the land. In this mountainous region located on the Afghan-Tajik border, 300 kilometres from the provincial capital Faizabad, large agricultural machines and even tractors have yet to arrive in significant numbers. Most smallholders still use livestock for transport and ploughing. read more
by Khalil Rahman Omaid , Kabul
Apparently unconcerned by his choice of location, a man takes a leisurely, possibly narcotic-induced nap in the middle of a busy thoroughfare by Kota-e Sangi Bridge in Kabul's Fifth District. Large numbers of commuters pass through the area each day but no one takes heed of the prone figure. read more
Picture story 21: Jumpers for goalposts
Picture story 21: Jumpers for goalposts
by Waheed Orya, Mazar-e Sharif
Children kick a football around on a makeshift pitch in Mazar-e Sharif. Despite the city being home to the Afghan Premier League's losing finalists, Simorgh Alborz, sports venues and facilities are few and far between. Simorgh Alborz themselves don't have a home stadium, although the governor had pledged to build a sports complex for the team and the city soon. read more
Picture story 22: In high cotton
Picture story 22: In high cotton
by Gul Rahim Niazman, Kunduz
A farmer works his fields during the current cotton harvest in the village of Madrasa, Ali Abad District, Kunduz Province. Cotton is the main agricultural output in the northern province and is processed regionally at the Spinzar textile factory in Kunduz City, The cotton is spun into quilts and items of clothing then sold in local markets or in the capital Kabul. A kilogram of cotton sells in local markets for 230 afghanis ($4.4). read more
by Masood Momin, Mazar-e Sharif
Ajmal sells chickpeas inside the Hazrat Ali Shrine Garden in Mazar-e Sharif on November 12, 2012. The chickpeas, a portion of which cost 20 afghanis ($0.40) to buy, are first boiled in water for 30 minutes. The mushy peas are then flavoured with salt, vinegar and dry pepper and served as a delicacy to vistors at the city's famous Blue Mosque. On a good day, Ajmal makes 600 afghanis ($12). read more
Picture story 24: Reaping what one sows
Picture story 24: Reaping what one sows
by Naqib Ahmad Atal, Nangarhar Province
Naseeb Jan, a farmer in the Kooshtal area of Achin District in Nangarhar Province, ploughs his land in preparation for the wheat season. The farmer hopes his future reapings will match his recent crop volumes: In the last harvest alone, Naseeb's land yielded 840 kilograms of wheat per hectare. read more
Picture story 25: Fishy business
Picture story 25: Fishy business
by Waheed Orya, Mazar-e Sharif
Kabir is one of about 20 fishmongers operating on Dokan Street near the public hospital in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif. Local fishmongers mainly sell fish imported from Pakistan, but the local delicacy is a white fish known as laqa from the port of Hairatan on the Amu Darya River in the north of the province, Balkh. Prices for the different kinds of fish range from $6 to $14 per kilo. read more
Picture story 26: Running against corruption
Picture story 26: Running against corruption
by Asghar Noor Mohammed , Mazar-e Sharif
More than 300 participants took part in a charity run in Mazar-e Sharif early on Friday December 15 in an event organised by the Afghan Anti Corruption Network to highlight corruption in local administrative offices. The next challenge will be to take the race ro more troubled areas of the country. read more
Picture story 27: Smooth as silk
Picture story 27: Smooth as silk
by Fareedoone Aryan, Herat
Fareedone Aryan profiles Mrs Sidiqi Tamasoki, head of the Tamasoki World Silk Production at the Khadija-tul Kubra Market in the western city of Herat. Tamasoki discusses the challenges tailoring, her rise from a meagre background and how she doesn't fear 2014. read more
Picture story 28: The great escape
Picture story 28: The great escape
by Mangal, Khost
Living unscathed into 2013 was a local miracle for the occupants of this vehicle, which in December swerved off the road at high speed and plunged into a small ravine in Khost's Dwamanda District. Passers-by gawp at the wrecked pick-up truck shortly after the driver and three passengers scrambled to safety. read more
Picture story 29: Future makers
Picture story 29: Future makers
by Waheed Orya, Mazar-e Sharif
Nearly 20,000 Afghans who were living in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan have been repatriated in Balkh Province since 2001. But for the most recent returnees, the future remains uncertain. Waheed Orya reports from a camp for refugees on the outskirts of Mazar-e Sharif. read more
Picture story 30: Sewing seeds
Picture story 30: Sewing seeds
by Rahmat Alizada, Ghazni
A woman sews clothes as part of a project supported by a Polish Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to strengthen female employment in Ghazni. About 200 local women are taking part in the four month training program and each participant is paid a $2 per diem by the Ministry of Women's Affairs regional department in Ghazni. The clothes are sold in local markets. read more
by Gul Rahim Niazman, Kunduz
A group of men and boys in the Imam Sahib District of Kunduz Province employs an unorthodox method of catching fish: live cables from a generator are used to electrocute the water. This effective but environmentally destructive means of fishing causes substantial collateral damage to the ecosystem, killing off species and harming plant habitats. read more
Picture story 32: New openings
Picture story 32: New openings
by Naqib Ahmad Atal, Jalalabad
Watandoost, a carpenter in Haska Mena District in Nangarhar Province, started his business 18 months ago. The carpenter produces doors, windows, closets, desks and other wooden products in demand at his atelier near the Pakistan border. read more
by Rahmat Alizada, Ghazni
Dozens of mainly senior citizens gathered over the past week in Ghazni to shoot, arch and even throw stones in events organized by the provincial Olympic Committee. They heralded a broader programme of events scheduled through 2013, while Ghazni hold's the title of Capital of Islamic Culture, awarded by ISESCO (the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 2007. Afghanistan Today watched competitors from across the region take up their bow. read more
Picture story 36: Smashing home the message
Picture story 36: Smashing home the message
by Fareedoone Aryan, Kabul
Mastoora Arezo hasn't let the prejudices against women in her country hold her back. The entrepreneur is the founder of a sports newspaper, the coach of the Afghan Women's National Volleyball team and owner of her own company. Fareedoone Aryan met with her in Kabul. read more
by Waheed Orya, Mazar-e Sharif
Farmers in Balkh Province wash a bumper crop of carrots after the harvest. As well as providing a vital vitamin C boost to local residents, carrots are used to make pickles, jams, juices and local dishes such as qabli, a rice and carrot dish. Overall, it's been a good year for the carrot farmers, who received three sacks of chemical fertilizer each, one white and one black, in subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. Many farmers still tend to use natural fertlizers like manure to keep costs low. White fertilizer costs between 900 and 1,200 afghanis ($17-23) on the local market, while black fertilizer can cost up to 2,500 read more
Picture story 40: Mother Camp continues
Picture story 40: Mother Camp continues
by Fareedoone Aryan, Kabul
In 2012, the Afghan filmmaker Laila Haidary was so moved by a scene she witnessed under a bridge in Kabul, that she opened Mother Camp, a private rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in the capital, at her own expense. Fareedoone Aryan and the AMP crew went to catch up with her. read more
Picture story 44: Media clean-up
Picture story 44: Media clean-up
by Khalil Rahman Omaid , Lashkar Gah
Residents of Helmand's capital Lashkar Gah turned out in force with their brooms and shovels Thursday to support a municipal clean-up campaign. Participants worked for three hours, including these members of the Helmand Press Club, whose work is featured in the AT Diary piece Strength in unity. read more
Picture story 45: Wrestlemania
Picture story 45: Wrestlemania
by Asghar Noor Mohammed , Mazar-e Sharif
The recent Nowruz New Year celebrations not only marked an important calendar change for Afghanistan, but it also signalled the beginning of the traditional 40-day wrestling season. Afghanistan Today reporter Asghar Noor Mohammed was at a recent bout between two young challengers in Mazar-e Sharif. read more
by Asghar Noor Mohammed & Waheed Orya, Mazar-e Sharif
Around 150 girls took part in the first-ever mini-marathon event for women in Mazar-e Sharif today to highlight gender discrimination, corruption and drug addiction. Running has become an increasingly popular tool of protest for young people looking to come together and shine light on an issue of their concern. Last year a similar all-male event took place in Mazar-e Sharif, Jalalabad, Kabul and other Afghan cities to highlight corruption in public offices. read more
Picture story 48: Soak operator
Picture story 48: Soak operator
by Zarwali Khoshnood, Khost
Not time in a bottle, but in a tub of water. Roadside wrist watch vendor Tariq is so confident in the quality of his wares that he leaves them fully immersed in water to draw customers in Khost City. What he insists are genuine brand-name imports from Japan and others from China sell for 100 to 1,000 afghanis (almost 19 US dollars). read more
Picture story 49: Childhood in waste
Picture story 49: Childhood in waste
by Moeen Mandokhail, Quetta
Thousands of children of Afghan origin work as labourers collecting tin, plastic bottles, cardboard and waste in Pakistan's largest cities. As part of a special cross-border report, Moeen Mandokhail spoke to Afghan children collecting waste on the streets of Quetta. read more
Picture story 50: Liquorice man
Picture story 50: Liquorice man
by Masood Momin, Takhar
A man harvests liquorice in northern Takhar Province. Seven kilos of the wet liquorice plant sells for 3 dollars, whereas dried liquorice is sold at around 1 dollar per kilo. Liquorice roots are one of Afghanistan's most profitable exports and are widely used to make herbal medicines. Besides being widely employed for pharmaceutical purposes, liquorice is also used as a sweetener, in confectionary, for tobacco flavouring, in drink mixes and to make fire extinguisher fluids. read more
Picture story 52: Setting the ball rolling
Picture story 52: Setting the ball rolling
by Masood Momin, Kabul
A girl shoots a free-throw during the first ever competitive women's wheelchair basketball match held in Kabul on Friday May 17th. Teams from Mazar-e Sharif and Kabul faced-off before a crowd of about a dozen on an open court at the Orthopaedic Centre of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). ICRC founded, trains and supports both teams. In the end, Kabul won the historic game by five points. read more