Nearly Five Years Into Taliban Rule, Afghan Teachers Shoulder the Despair of a Generation of Girls

As Afghan girls are pushed out of classrooms and into forced marriages, teachers are left to confront the fallout. Many say the emotional toll is becoming harder to carry.

This article is co-published with More To Her Story. Middle East Uncovered uses pseudonyms to protect our sources in Afghanistan.

Each morning, Taiba prepares her family’s living room in Kabul to teach 25 girls who are no longer allowed in school. For the past year, she has woken early, prayed, finished her chores, and set the room for class. A 26-year-o…