In the hills overlooking Kabul, a woman named Sima survives by scavenging abandoned graveyards and city streets. She collects recyclables and food scraps to sustain her extended family following the economic collapse triggered by the Taliban's 2021 takeover.
The scavenger's economy of rice sacks and dried tomatoes
Sima, a 60-year-old woman living in the hills above Kabul, has developed a rigorous routine to combat extreme poverty. She navigates abandoned cemeteries and city markets to find items that others have discarded. As reported by the source, Sima uses a set of keys and plastic bags to collect everything from bread packaging left by bakeries to scrap plastic and twisted tin cans.
The processing of these found items occurs within Sima's mud-brick home,which serves as a makeshift sorting station. According to the report, she transforms discarded goods into usable resources, such as turning rotten tomatoes into homemade pickles. She also preserves meat from the last Eid Al-Adha to ensure her family has food during the winter months. Even broken rice sacks and dry bread are repurposed or sold to neighbors for a small profit.
The 2021 economic collapse and Kabul's missing safety nets
Afghanistan's economic instability has intensified since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021. The report states that the resulting scarcity has left many Kabul residents with almost no access to traditional employment. This vacuum has forced many families to rely on begging or the redistribution of single, shared items to survive. The lack of official social support for the elderly means that individuals like Sima must navigate these hardships entirely on their own,often living in rooms with simple fabric coverings and mud walls.
A family network of cousins and children in the Kabul hills
Sima's survival strategy relies heavily on a collective effort involving her children and cousins. These family members assist her by carrying heavy bags and helping to sort through items found in abandoned shop fronts. This network allows the family to find essential goods like bedding and clothing that might otherwise be lost. By sharing her finds, Sima acts as a central anchor for her extended family's daily needs, providing a sense of stability amidst the harsh realities of the capital.
The unknown scale of Kabul's scavenging-based survival
Significant questions remain regarding the true extent of this informal survival economy in Afghanistan. While Sima's experience is documented, the source does not provide data on how many other Kabul residents rely on scavenging to avoid starvation. Additionally,it remains unclear if international humanitarian aid is reaching these specific hill communities or if they are operating entirely outside the reach of global relief efforts. The report also leaves unaddressed whether the gender-based restrictions in the region impact the ability of other women to participate in such scavenging networks.
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