Synopsis

Child trafficking is a harrowing phenomenon that has emerged in some provinces of Afghanistan after long years of war, poverty, and drought. Following the Taliban's return to power, many unemployed fathers have resorted to selling their children out of sheer desperation. These children, valued between $100 and $500 depending on their gender, age, health, and beauty, are traded in camps on the outskirts of cities. Here, overcrowded and impoverished families struggle to survive, living briefly off the money earned from selling their children.

Boys as young as three or four are sometimes bought by terrorist groups, indoctrinated, and trained to become suicide bombers. Others are sent to large cities in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, forced into begging and theft. Tragically, some are bought for sexual exploitation. Young girls are frequently sold to adult men, often drug addicts or criminals, who use them for sexual exploitation and theft.

Shidaei camp, near the city of Herat, is a stark example. Located just 110 kilometers from the Iranian border, the camp’s residents have migrated from nearby villages, clinging to the hope of finding work and feeding their families. The region's 40-year ethnic conflicts have ravaged most agricultural lands, leaving villagers without a means of livelihood. Desperate, they have flocked to the outskirts of Herat, hoping to receive international aid.

In the past two years, after the Taliban's resurgence, I traveled to Afghanistan to undertake a photography and research project aimed at producing a documentary film. My focus was on Mania camp, where I completed an extensive photography project and gathered crucial media and film production research. My work has been recognized with a €500 Italian grant, an award for a news photo collection on February 24, 2023, and publication in Iran's documentary photography magazine. Additionally, I recently published a book titled "Khorasan Nameh," which compiles photos and stories from my journey after the Taliban's return to power, depicting the harrowing conditions faced by the Afghan people. Now, I am poised to begin production on a film that will further expose this human tragedy.