Four years have passed since the fall of the republic and the return of the Taliban, four years in which each day serves as a reminder of deception, ignorance, and violence. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, in his latest interview with Sky News, claimed that the group faces “no problem of legitimacy” and that many countries have “unofficially” recognized them.

Period is a natural process in the bodies of girls and women. It is a sign of hormonal health and fertility. This cycle usually occurs every 28 days and can last from 3 to 7 days. More than half of the women in the world experience severe pain during their period. This pain includes body aches, headaches, back pain, and even nausea. Some conditions such as endometriosis or abnormal bleeding also make life more difficult for women.

On September 8, the world once again marked International Literacy Day; a day that reminds us of the fundamental right of every human being to read and write. But in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have banned girls’ education through their decrees, this day has become less a celebration and more a reminder of silence and repression.

In a world where the doors of education are being closed one by one to girls, in a land where being a woman sometimes means silence and isolation, I, Fakhria Samandari, stand to tell the story of a woman who, out of suffering, created a mission; a woman who, in the heart of darkness, lit a lamp of hope for future generations.