Amidst the vast nothingness, I met a shepherd, a symbol of Afghanistan’s reliance on subsistence farming. Isolated, hours from the nearest village, these shepherds lead their flocks in search of pasture.
The town that probably was home to the shepherd—a speck of civilization in the vastness.
Another shepherd, another face of Afghanistan’s pastoral life.
A valley in Nouristan, a hidden gem nestled within the mountain folds, requires a grueling 12-hour drive on dirt roads from Jalalabad to reach Parun at 2,800 meters altitude, the low point in a valley that borders the Himalayas and has multiple 7,000 meter peaks.
A local traverses the road to Parun, where fuel prices and poverty dictate travel by foot or donkey for most.
A man, child, and donkey—a trio navigating the valley’s terrain.
An elderly man from south of Parun, his face etched with the lines of a life shaped by the mountains that cradle his home.
Amidst the vast nothingness, I met a shepherd, a symbol of Afghanistan’s reliance on subsistence farming. Isolated, hours from the nearest village, these shepherds lead their flocks in search of pasture.
