Life with microcephaly in war-torn Afghanistan

Hanifa washes the dishes Saleem points out that 17 years have passed since US-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban. ‘Sometimes, it feels like we are going backwards. Since the NATO-led forces stopped their combat mission four years ago, the Taliban has made a strong comeback, and now more than half of the country is under Taliban control. Thankfully, the capital, where I live, has been spared, but militant attacks are extremely common. Mahgul recently lost a relative to one such attack’

Mahgul’s sisters and brother Microcephaly is largely a genetic condition, but it can also be caused by a range of other factors, such as being exposed to harmful substances during foetal development. Because congenital microcephaly is so rare in Afghanistan, there is no specialist treatment available to those who have it

Two of Mahgul’s sisters – Habiba (left), 77, and Shafiqa, 67 As well as suffering from microcephaly, Shafiqa experiences chronic leg pain, and finds everyday tasks a challenge. Despite this, she is currently the household’s breadwinner. While Mahgul tends to her siblings, her sister works at a nearby farm, usually receiving food in place of wages

Mahgul’s brother Barat, 70 While most countries have the resources to offer professional care to those in need, they are scarce in Afghanistan. If people with disabilities don’t have the help of their families, society’s most vulnerable people are left to suffer

Mahgul’s sister Hanifa, 72 The siblings’ home is on the southern outskirts of Kabul, near neighbouring Logar province, and built of traditional adobe mud and straw. Mahgul says that collectively, five people own their house – one of them being her uncle. It is old and falling apart, and has not had any maintenance for decades

Shafiqa washes her hands before lunch ‘As a photographer, I have always been drawn to stories that are completely unknown to the outside world,’ says Tahmina Saleem. ‘I want to show people a different side of Afghanistan besides the usual misery of everyday war’

Mahgul, 69, prepares dough to make bread in her kitchen in Kabul Mahgul has tried single-handedly to provide for her siblings over the years. She used to have a cow, whose milk she sold for a meagre sum, but the task became too difficult as she got older and she was forced to sell the animal. She never had the chance to pursue her own dreams or get married, a particularly tough fate for women in Afghanistan, where there are few opportunities for economic independence

Hanifa, left, and Habiba, right, with Mahgul Mahgul also has two healthy brothers, who are both married. Though she helped them secure a loan to pay for their weddings, she says they do not provide for her and their other siblings financially

Afghanistan has been at war for almost 40 years,’ says Saleem. ‘It pains me that when people think of my country, they think of violence. But war, poverty and insecurity have much bigger ramifications than blood. Widespread corruption and a weak economy mean few resources go towards health services, especially those that help people with disabilities. Mahgul’s family are victims of this war, too’ Tahmina Saleem is a member of Sahar Speaks, a programme providing training, mentoring and publishing opportunities for Afghan female journalists

Habiba During the Taliban’s reign, which was overthrown in 2001, Mahgul’s neighbours would often flee the area when it became too unsafe. But Mahgul herself was housebound with her siblings, who find it very difficult to travel. Once, when the situation became especially dangerous, she was forced to leave her home and travel to a safe place on foot, her siblings and cattle (then her only source of income) in tow