Waiting for the radiant sun.

I am a sixteen-year-old girl living in Afghanistan, with roots in the majestic mountains of Badakhshan and days spent in beautiful Kabul.

Sometimes I think that life made us old before we even had the chance to become young; an old soul in a sixteen-year-old body. I still remember the days when everything seemed normal. Like thousands of other young girls, I entered school with a flower of hope in my heart and studied with great enthusiasm. I dreamed of a beautiful future. But one day, everything changed. The day the Taliban came; suddenly, the lives of many people in Afghanistan took on a different color. Those days became etched in my memories, and it seems that time does not allow those memories to be forgotten.

I studied remotely for two years; two years filled with worry, waiting, and questions. Every day I asked myself: “What will the future hold? Will we ever be able to study peacefully again? Will there come a day when the girls of Afghanistan can pursue their dreams without fear or restrictions?” Amid all these worries, my father made a major decision. He did not want my sisters and me to be deprived of our education. So, he sent my mother, my sisters, and me to Iran so that we could continue our studies. Perhaps many people only see the outcome, but no one knows how much worry, sacrifice, and sleepless nights were hidden behind that decision.

The days in Iran were not easy. We went through many difficulties to be accepted into school, as there were many restrictions on Afghan immigrants in Iran. There were days when we felt homesick, days when we became tired, and days when we felt that nothing was easy. But whenever I thought of my parents, I found strength again. They gave up their own comfort for our future and never allowed hope to fade from our hearts.

After living and studying in Iran for a year, we returned to Afghanistan to renew our visas. We thought that after completing the administrative procedures, we would return to Iran and continue our studies. But once again, life did not go according to our expectations. Around that time, war began in Iran, and we could no longer return. At first, this was very difficult for me. I felt that I had to adapt myself to a new set of circumstances all over again. But I decided not to give up and to find a way to continue.

After returning to Afghanistan, I enrolled in an Islamic girls’ school and spent tenth grade there. Although at first I thought adapting to the new environment would be difficult, the school soon became one of the most beautiful chapters of my life. I made friends there whose memories still bring a smile to my face.

We were not just classmates; we were like a small family that spent hours together every day. We laughed together, joked around, talked about our dreams and worries, and created moments that I will never forget.

During breaks and free time, playing Mafia, Truth or Dare, and cards were some of our favorite activities. Sometimes we became so absorbed in the games and laughter that we forgot how much time had passed. On some days, we would excitedly order food from a restaurant and sit together. These moments may seem simple to others, but to me, they are a treasure trove of sweet memories that are still alive in my heart. Sometimes I think that among all the hardships I have experienced, God placed these joyful moments in my life so that I would not forget that even during the most difficult days, there can still be reasons to be happy.

This year, I was transferred to another Islamic school to continue my education. Now my days are filled with studying and hard work. In the mornings, I study online at Setaregan Zirek School, and in the afternoons, I attend school. Sometimes I get tired, but whenever that happens, I remind myself that education and learning are the very reasons I have traveled such a long road. Perhaps my life path has not been like that of many people my age. I have experienced difficult days, relocations, worries, and many changes. But alongside all of these, I have always tried not to forget the blessings that God has given me.

I am grateful to God for blessing me with a kind and selfless family. My parents have never allowed me to feel that I am deprived of anything. They have done everything they could for our future and are still the greatest supporters in my life. Whenever I look around me, I think of the many young people who live in much more difficult circumstances; people who sometimes do not even have enough food to eat or the necessary resources to study. This has taught me to be more grateful and to appreciate what I have.

Every stage of this journey has taught me that even when circumstances do not go the way I want, I can still continue and strive for my dreams. I have always been fortunate to have a family that has stood by me during the hardest moments. My father, mother, sisters, and brother have always encouraged me. Whenever I felt hopeless, they reminded me that no hardship lasts forever.

But among all these events, what hurts my heart the most is the suffering of the people of Afghanistan. Every time I hear sad news, I feel as though a part of my heart is wounded. When I learn about the pain and suffering of Afghan women and the exhaustion of its people, a strange sadness overwhelms me. Especially since I heard the stories of the women of Herat, this sorrow has stayed with me even more. Sometimes I think about them for hours; about people who, despite all the hardships, continue to live, struggle, and refuse to lose hope.

Perhaps that is why my greatest dream is not only for myself. I dream that one day all the people of Afghanistan will be free. I dream that no girl will be deprived of education, dreams, or a future simply because she is a girl. I dream that one day the people of my country will live in peace, and no father or mother will have to spend their nights worrying and fearing for the future of their children.

I still live in Afghanistan, in a land that I love despite all its pain; a land whose future sometimes seems uncertain to me, but that has never been able to drive my love for it out of my heart. If someone asks me how I would introduce myself, I will say: “I am a girl who loves her homeland; a girl who sometimes cannot see a bright future in this country, but has still not given up hope.”

Perhaps today everything is not the way I wish it were, but I believe that one day the sun will shine brighter than ever over the sky of my country. That day may be far away, or it may never come, but nothing can diminish my faith. When that day arrives, I will proudly say that throughout all those years of turmoil, I still believed in the light.