Through the prism of her experience in Afghanistan 20 years ago, Sema Genel Karaosmanolu, Director of Support to Life Association, examines what is occurring today in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has taken power.
Unfortunately, there is no news today from the community centre “Spring,” which was founded in 2002 with the help of young Afghans who worked to benefit hundreds of women and girls, nor from Nilla, her friend who runs the facility.
Karaosmanolu emphasises the necessity of preserving the right of individuals fleeing Taliban terror to live a decent life in her piece.
Sema Genel Karaosmanoğlu
On Sunday morning, we awoke to the news that the Taliban had surrounded the city of Kabul from all sides.We have been following the rapid progress of the Taliban inside the country with concern.However, when I was reading the news that morning, a news that caught my eye broke my heart.I was shocked by how bad the situation in Afghanistan was at the time. According to the reports, teachers said their goodbyes to their daughters the morning the Taliban stormed Kabul. For a long time, I couldn’t keep back my emotions, and I couldn’t come to terms with myself.
The experiences I had with those mothers and young girls are the major reason why this news struck me so much. We used to have dreams together when I was a young lady, and we used to make them all come true. We shared a great deal of delight, happiness, and pride.
The excitement of the new era
When I travelled to Kabul in 2002 as a 28-year-old humanitarian worker, I encountered hopeful individuals. When I arrived in Kabul, one period in Afghanistan had come to an end, and everyone was anticipating a new age, which we were on the verge of entering. I was also ecstatic to be able to help. It was the first time I had been in charge of such a major humanitarian relief effort.
Afghanistan was a difficult place to live in. On one one, the chilly Kabul evenings I spent carefully cuddling into the stove, and on the other, the unease of waking up to the sounds of rockets being launched into the city while I was sleeping… These were the Taliban’s clumsy attempts to reclaim their lost authority. We understood that these actions would not frighten the Afghans. The important individuals I met in Afghanistan, the work we accomplished, and the stunning effects we generated all made an indelible impression on me.
Our priority is women and girls
Following Kabul, I travelled to several of Afghanistan’s regions. We prioritised girls and women who had been denied access to school for many years during Taliban control. There could be no other priority in a society where inequality is so severe.
In Afghanistan, I met with accelerated training programmes for the first time, a strategy commonly employed in war and conflict zones. This was the most successful strategy for returning females to school who had been out of school for a long period. It was also a top goal to provide possibilities for women who had completed their education and wanted to get involved in civic and commercial life.
Return from the diaspora
It was the first step in forming an Afghan team that would serve as the driving force behind our efforts to accomplish these goals. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I had Afghan comrades who assisted us in humanitarian relief operations in refugee camps along Afghanistan’s Pakistan and Iran borders. They were Afghans living in the diaspora who had fled the Taliban’s brutality. With a youthful and vibrant team of men and women, we fulfilled the fundamental requirements in the refugee camps; we performed essential work. These friends banded together with us to create a safe environment for us to enter Kabul. They had the exhilaration of returning as refugees who had been absent from their homeland for years; the excitement of bringing the country together and changing Afghanistan into a more living place in freedom…
Young Afghans produced marvels in their nation as a result of their passion. During my time in Afghanistan, I saw hundreds of girls enrolled in school, get psychosocial assistance, and obtain employment as a result of the humanitarian aid donations that flooded the country. Infrastructure projects were accomplished with international and Turkish assistance, water was provided to numerous locations, and social and economic mobility was achieved.
“Spring came”
The services at our women’s community centre have benefitted hundreds of women and girls. “Spring” was the name they gave to this facility, which they viewed as their second home. They had constructed it with their own hands, and it signified a fresh beginning and a new life for them.
In Bahar, we also provided chances for many Afghan women and young girls who had lived in other countries and wanted to return home. They were, after all, the ones who planned to destabilise the country from below. They did, in fact, found the new Afghanistan. They advanced their studies, entered the workforce, rose through the ranks, and empowered other women…
All of this has happened as a result of Afghan women’s own resolve and initiative. We’ve merely exposed the potential that already exists, given the opportunity. This location, which was formerly owned by our participants, was subsequently transformed into a social company. They were the ones who made the decision to make it viable in this way. We established a strong staff in Spring, knowing that the funding flowing to Afghanistan will be withdrawn one day, allowing the nascent organisation to turn itself around. We were not going to be left behind. I knew I had left Bahar in good hands as I left there. We kissed, embraced, and parted with ladies, and we stayed in touch for years after that.
Today I am unable to contact my beloved friend Nilla, who keeps me up to date on events in Bahar and Kabul. She expanded her efforts on women’s human rights after her leadership in Bahar and was successful. I have no idea where she is or how she is now…
In my 24 years of humanitarian aid work, Afghanistan has a special place for me. Since I left my family and friends to travel to Afghanistan with the hope of making a tiny difference, they have always cherished me there, taking me into their homes and caring for me more than my son. They turned Afghanistan into a second home for me. My Afghan friends, whom I hold in high regard, transformed a difficult experience for me at the time into the most beautiful experience in the world. I am grateful to each and every one of them.
The only way out of violence
I am happy to be working for the rights of people who fled to Turkey to escape the Taliban’s atrocities and who want to live a decent and humane life here 20 years later. As someone who has witnessed the power and joy of solidarity in Afghanistan, I am certain that it is the only way to overcome violence and hardships.
We assist refugee groups from various Afghan and other countries, such as the Afghan Refugee Solidarity and Assistance Association, as part of our Support to Life programme. These groups, which were formed in Turkey by various refugees, including Afghans, provide basic needs, access to rights and services, labour participation, and social cohesiveness in general to those who have suffered war and violence.
In Afghanistan, we grew a spring together. Now, performing similar work with Afghans who fled their country’s limited freedoms and sought sanctuary in Turkey gives us strength.