Dynamic people of Wakhan

by Murasa Murasa (Pakistan)

Making a local connection Afghanistan

In August 2019, I went to the Badakhshan with my siblings for four days. Badakhshan is one of the beautiful provinces of my country, Afghanistan and I have visited this area for the first time. It is located in the farthest northeastern part of the country between Tajikistan and Northern Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. It shares 91 km border with China. The province contains 22 to 28 districts and approximately 904,700 people. In the east of the province a long spur called the Wakhan Corridor extends above northern Pakistan's Chitral and Northern Areas to a border with China. The province has a total area of 44,059 km2 most of which is occupied by the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges. My target is to reach to Wakhan corridor which is approximately 400 km away from my hometown Kabul. We caught the bus on 20th of August at 6am. More than 100 passengers were in the bus. Bus hostesses were very kind and cooperative they served us either juice or chips after every 90 minutes. Bus took two halts on the way, not only we straightened our legs but also took refreshments. Also I brought my camera and captured a lot of pictures. The beautiful mountains which were covered with thick layers of snow really looked quite pretty and mesmerized me. Well the roads are in bad condition but I enjoyed a lot because bus was very comfortable. Due to bad condition of roads we arrived to destination after nine hours. People of Wakhan are very kind, honest, decent and friendly. Hospitality of people are famous in Afghanistan. Not only I had great time in there but also that trip expand my knowledge like I come to know about culture and life style of there. Interestingly, aged people just make two new dresses per year. Aged ladies always wear white trousers and scarf because they believe white color makes them bold. Moreover, when young girls wear red dresses then it means they are ready to tie the knot. People of this region is very dynamic. Both males and females work together in fields to earn money. Individuals work there for more than eight hours per day, from Jun to August. Because summer period is very short within three months they have to cultivate their lands as well as sale the products. Winter season is very long, from September to May, masses spend full time in home and in December temperature drops to minus 22. Ladies do stitching or knitting. Really they make lovely attires like sweater, gloves, caps and shirts. One of the families also gifted me pink cap and sweater and still I keep these. These handmade gifts are not only expensive but also it shows love of people. Moreover, either nine or ten people live in one room and also cook food in that room due to coldness. Wakhan has also very popular dishes like, Bolani, Badakhshi Palao and kabab. I tried almost all of these. Not only are such cuisines very delicious but also energetic. Additionally, in there people often eat dry fruits like almonds, coconut, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds as well as peanuts. They ascertain, such fruits maintain their body temperature. I also noted education system is very poor. Students do not have proper classrooms. Most of time they set on the floor and listen the lecture. People of this region is thirsty for education but due to less facility they cannot gain solid knowledge. I think government has to think about these people too. During the journey, I noticed that there is lack of industry and paved road, shortage of electricity as well as people are far away from advanced technology. Even such people saw camera or smart phone for first time and it was amazing for them. Furthermore, in Wakhan people use animals for transportation. Though there is difficult to survive in coldest region without facilities but still they have happy and independent life as they are very hardworking people and have unity. Although it was my first experience to visit the rural area of my country but really I had a fantastic time and still I miss hospitality and love of people.