real life accounts from those without a voice or a face

“Before, I had one kind, small dog, and now I have four. Before, I had a pool that reached to the middle of our garden, and now we have a creek that has no end. Before, I had imported lanterns in our garden, and now we have the stars at night. Before, our patio reached to the front yard, and now we have the whole village. Before, we had a small piece of land, and now we have fields that go beyond our sight. Before, we had servants who served us, but now we serve others. Before, we bought our food, but now we grow our food. Before, we had walls around our property to protect us, but now we have friends to protect us.”

The Afghan Women's Writing Project