Eid Under the Shadow of Meagre Income: Bread and Rent or Eid Costs?

Photo: © AFP / France 24

Although communities take on a festive atmosphere during Eid, for some working women in Afghanistan these days bring no sign of shopping or planning for celebration.

Some women who work in schools, hospitals, and government offices on low salaries say Eid has become a difficult equation for them: bread, electricity and house rent, or Eid fruit and clothing?

Maryam, a cleaner at one of the government schools in Kabul, supports her family of five on a monthly salary of 4,000 Afghanis.

She says her salary runs out before the middle of the month: “If we pay the house rent and electricity, nothing remains for food. Now you tell me, in such a situation, how can I celebrate Eid?”

In one of Kabul’s public hospitals, Shakila works as a cleaner.

She says her salary is 5,000 Afghanis, but according to her, this amount does not even cover basic living needs.

“All I think about is having dry bread at home. My children talk about Eid fruit and new clothes, but I have no answer to give them.”

In Herat, Nahid, who works as a cleaner at a girls’ school, faces a similar situation.

She says rising living costs have placed additional pressure on her family.

“The house rent is high, and electricity also has its monthly cost. When I add all of this up, I see that no money is left for extra things like Eid.”

In Ghor, Fatima, who works at a health centre, says that despite working full time, she still faces difficulties in meeting her family’s basic needs.

“We work and make an effort, but when the end of the month comes, nothing is left in our hands. Eid is happiness for others, but for us it remains just an ordinary day.”

In Nimroz, Zahra, who works as a cleaner at a school, says her salary of 3,000 Afghanis is not even enough to provide dry bread for her family.

“Sometimes I am forced to borrow money just to feed my children. When Eid comes, my children have expectations, but I have nothing to make them happy.”

These women, unlike many of those in need, are employed, but low salaries and rising living costs have placed them in a situation not very different from the unemployed.