Darya grew up in Afghanistan, became an artist, and eventually had to burn everything she had made — on a rooftop in Kabul — when the Taliban returned to power. Creating art had become a crime.
She made it out. Most of the women she knows did not.
Today, from Canada, Darya runs online art therapy sessions for women still living inside Afghanistan. In this conversation with Tahir Shah, she talks about her journey from refugee life in Pakistan to Kabul, the reality of women's lives under Taliban rule today, what it cost her to leave, and what it means to stay connected — however tenuously — with the women she works with.
At the heart of it is a simple truth: for Afghan women, internet access is not a convenience. It is a lifeline.
Azada Women is a project of The Scheherazade Foundation that funds mobile data connections for women inside Afghanistan. A connection costs around $100 a year.
🔗 Support the campaign: crowdfunder.co.uk/p/azada-women
🌍 Learn more: sf.charity/azada-women
📧 Contact: info@sf.charity
Darya's website: https://soulwomen.org/
The Scheherazade Foundation is a UK-based cultural organisation harnessing the power of traditional stories and wisdom to address modern global challenges.
#AfghanWomen #Afghanistan #AzadaWomen #SteveMcCurry #WomensRights #HumanRights #Crowdfunder
What is The Scheherazade Foundation Mini Podcast?
Hosted by Tahir Shah, the Scheherazade Foundation Podcast brings you conversations with thinkers, artists, and changemakers working at the intersection of culture, justice and the human imagination.
The Foundation takes its name from the great storyteller of the Arabian Nights — and like Scheherazade herself, we believe that stories have the power to transform the world.
Our conversations begin with the Foundation's Azada Women project, supporting Afghan women and girls at a moment of profound crisis, and reach outward from there to wherever the most important work is being done.
Short, focused, and always worth your time.