Afghan Schoolgirl Scarred in Acid Attack Now a Teacher

In this picture taken on September 25, 2013, teacher Shamsia Husseini (C) looks on as one of her students writes on the blackboard in a classroom at Mirwais Mena School in Kandahar city. When attackers threw acid in Shamsia Husseini’s face outside her school in Afghanistan, she defied them by returning to class — and … Read more

Anti-graft academic leads Afghan push against ‘economic mafia’

In this photograph taken on April 5, 2015, Hamidullah Farooqi, an economist appointed by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to lead an anti-corruption inquiry into fuel contracts, works on his laptop at his office in Kabul. Ringed with snipers and sandbag bunkers, the fortified makeshift office of a Kabul academic spearheading President Ashraf Ghani’s unprecedented anti-corruption … Read more

From cancer to career

Shireen Qudosi shares her story of a cancer diagnosis and the powerful way it allowed her to capture a lost narrative. There are all sorts of inspirational quotes and memes that relate to life. They say that “It’s always darkest before dawn”, or “God doesn’t give you more than you can endure”. It’s easy to believe … Read more

Facing the Facts of Acid Attacks

The most vulnerable continue to fall victim, despite Pakistan enacting new laws in recent years, writes Alayna Ahmad. Acid attacks are prevalent in many countries, including India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Cambodia, amongst others. On average, the BBC claims that 1500 attacks are reported worldwide every year.[i] I believe the actual numbers are far greater than … Read more