Fazila Mushrif is a nurse and midwife at the Malalai Hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. She has worked there for two months; previously she worked at a private clinic and before that, at Char sad Bester hospital in Kabul for 18 years.
She is Afghan and lived in Kabul with her family: her husband and their son and three daughters. But when the mojahideen entered Kabul in 1992, her four year old daughter Monira was killed by one of the rockets that were launched into the city. The family's house and all of their belongings were destroyed, as well as the shop run by Fazila's husband. Then when the Taliban entered the city, her son was arrested and put in prison for several years. In the meantime, the rest of the family immigrated to Pakistan. But when they received word that their son had been killed, Fazila's husband returned to Kabul to find out what had happened. While there, he protested to the Taliban and was also arrested. Fazila has not seen him since. She does not know where he is or if he is all right.
Fazila now supports her two daughters, Muzghan, age 17, and Manizha, age13. The girls stay home while their mother works. Although Muzghan speaks some English, which she learned in Mazar-e-Sharif, the girls do not go to school now. Muzghan knits and makes crafts to help earn money, but the work is difficult and her eyes are weak. She teaches English, but only has three students who can pay very little. She also tries to educate her younger sister. Both girls want to be doctors, but don't know if they will have the opportunity. They are not happy with their life, and Muzghan has even considered killing herself but says she cannot because of her mother and sister.
The family has very few belongings, but Fazila is making more money at Malalai Hospital than she was making previously, and she hopes for a raise so she will be able to take care of her family more easily. Although she says that the hospital needs more equipment, more staff, and more beds, she likes working there. It is a friendly environment and the staff is like family, she says. She has no plans to ever return to Afghanistan.
