Life has not been kind to Fawzia. The 80-year-old lives in the village of Butkhak, which is now part of the outskirts of Kabul. At just 23 years of age, she was married to a relative and gave birth to a son who was born with a disability. Her husband, who had no further education and was self-employed, died early. Three years ago, she also lost her son – another heavy blow. Since then, she has been responsible for her daughter-in-law and nine granddaughters.
Fawzia tells the story of her granddaughters with deep sadness. Three of them are now married. But one of these marriages pains her particularly: her granddaughter was forcibly married and taken away against her will – shortly after her engagement to another man. Without male protection in the household, the remaining girls felt increasingly threatened. To protect them, Fawzia asked another granddaughter and her husband to move in with them – even though he is also seriously ill.
For a long time, the family received temporary financial support. The money, which was paid out every three months, was enough for flour, oil, and a few other food items – for about two months. In the third month, it usually became dramatically scarce. Now this sponsorship has expired and Fawzia is once again faced with the question of how to provide for her family.
Finding work is virtually impossible for women in the household and in an increasingly strictly regulated society under the Taliban regime – especially in a region that is firmly bound to traditional norms.
When Fawzia learned in early 2026 that the support would be discontinued, it hit her hard. She says with concern:
“ I don’t know what I’m going to do after that.”
Despite all the hardship, she expresses her deep gratitude to the NAZO staff in Germany: this support has been “the light” in her family’s life to this day.