With soap and honey, they save their families from hunger and despair!

Raqiya Rasaei slowly removes pieces of red soap from a silicone mold and stacks them, as the small soap factory in western Afghanistan operates at full capacity, its air filled with the scent of fresh herbs, saffron, and turmeric.

For five years, the Islamic Taliban movement has ruled this country, which is currently commemorating the “lean” five years of its rule over Afghans.

Four years ago, Rasaei, 21, founded the small factory in Herat, western Afghanistan. She was not allowed to study under Taliban rule and was forced to abruptly end her education, while her father also lost his shop. Her family business now employs eight regular workers, with the number increasing as demand rises.

Rasaei said that the work helped her and her sisters, who were involved in the project, get through a difficult period. In an interview with the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), published today, she added, “The mental health of our entire family has improved thanks to this work.”

However, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the Taliban seized power. Around 40 percent of the population may face severe food insecurity during the coming winter months, while at least 3.7 million young children in Afghanistan suffer from acute malnutrition. Moreover, the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on daily life remain in place, particularly for women, who are no longer, in principle, allowed to work in offices, must be accompanied by male relatives when traveling, and are required to fully cover their bodies and faces. These rules are also applied inconsistently across different regions, alongside arbitrary enforcement.

Gonjeha Karimi knows this well. The 39-year-old beekeeper disguises herself as a man every day since the Taliban’s takeover, enabling her to ride her motorcycle 15 kilometers to the beehives scattered around Herat. Karimi said she was once arrested by the Taliban for her disguise but was later released.