Zahra Fayeq and Maryam Khademi

I had the privilege to make a few portraits of Zahra Fayeq and Maryam Khademi, two of the 15 Afghan students who found their way to Brown University after leaving Afghanistan abruptly in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power.

Zahra Fayeq (left), Maryam Khademi (right) and 13 other young refugees from Afghanistan are gearing up to study politics, economics and public health during the spring semester

The two women also shared their story with my colleague Jill Kimball and she wrote an article at News From Brown outlining their experience leaving Afghanistan and time at Brown.

Forced to flee Kabul last August, 15 young Afghan women find an academic home at Brown

Brown is hosting a cohort of students from the Asian University for Women and Ghalib University, all of whom left Afghanistan abruptly in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power less than six months ago.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Maryam Khademi vividly remembers the day last August when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan’s capital.

“I was at an office in Kabul, working as a part-time communication assistant at one of the NGOs in Afghanistan,” Khademi said. “My coworker called and said: ‘The Taliban are coming. You have to pack your belongings and burn every document that you feel could put you in danger.’”

In the hours that followed, Khademi visited a bank to withdraw all of her money and faced crowds of people attempting to do the same. Afterward, she didn’t leave home for 10 days, afraid to venture outside in her Western clothes after hearing reports that the Taliban were attacking women who didn’t abide by their strict dress codes. On television, she watched as hordes of Afghans rushed to get into Kabul International Airport, the desperation ultimately leading to stampedes.

She thought: How will I ever make it out?

“I was at an office in Kabul, working as a part-time communication assistant at one of the NGOs in Afghanistan,” Khademi said. “My coworker called and said: ‘The Taliban are coming. You have to pack your belongings and burn every document that you feel could put you in danger.’”