Reference :
V-P-AF-E-02511
Date :
21/08/2016
Caption :
Kabul. Portrait of a man who is almost blind and hosts his two great nephews and his great niece whose mother emigrated in Germany.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
He says he is 78 years old. Almost completely blind, he sits crossed legged on floor cushions in a typical, sparsely furnished Afghan home, and fumbles for his glass of green tea. About six years ago, he went to Iran for eye surgery but it failed to restore his sight. Today he relies for all his needs on his great niece and two great nephews who live with him, his own children and grandchildren having long since left home. Originally from Bamyan, in central Afghanistan, he remembers his youth as a time of peace before the country’s decades of unrest and civil conflict began, and he laments its passing. “I worked as a mechanic, mending household appliances,” he sighs. “Everything has changed so much since those days.” Now in his twilight years, he is too poor to afford further treatment for his condition. He spends his days sitting at home, letting time pass. “A grey curtain has closed over my eyes,” he says. “I became blind because I cried so much when my wife died.”
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
4912x6549
Orientation :
portrait
Colour/B&W :
colour
