From medical student to janitor: One woman’s story of life under the Taliban

Aliya told her story to Zan Times journalist Lala Shams: 

My name is Aliya* and I am 20 years old. I studied at the Medical University to become a doctor. Now, I work as a janitor in a hospital.  

When I watch the activities of doctors, tears well up in my eyes. One day, I was captivated by a midwife – I imagined myself in her place, providing patient care while wearing a white uniform. She was smiling as she gave advice to a new mother who was holding her baby.  

As I observed the interaction, someone suddenly shouted, “Why are you standing? Quickly clean the delivery room; another patient is coming.” I jumped up, realizing that my whole body was trembling with fear and drenched in sweat. It was the head of the hospital. He’d scolded me before watching doctors’ work. I apologized and immediately began cleaning the delivery room with a mop, also quickly gathering the items used during childbirth.  

If the Taliban had not taken control of Afghanistan, I would have become a doctor. I studied medicine for four years at a private university when they closed the university doors to us. I waited every day for it to reopen but it never did; unbelievably, they invalidated its license. For a few weeks I stayed at home and then decided to find a job. I couldn’t become a doctor’s assistant in a hospital because my documents weren’t complete.  

After days of job hunting, a private hospital in Kabul hired me as a janitor. They set my salary at 7,000 afghani a month. Every day is the same as I sweep and mop the floors and clean the windows and mirrors. 

I knew I wanted to be a doctor by the time I was in the sixth grade. I was a diligent student, always focused on learning and academic activities. I had self-confidence, and my grades were always high. Whenever I thought about the future, I pictured myself in a doctor’s attire. With this dream, I entered the nationwide university entrance exam. 

I didn’t make the cut to enter the medical school at Kabul University. While I cried at this failure, I couldn’t give up my goal. Though my family’s economic situation wasn’t good, my father reassured me that he would work more hours so I could attend a private university, where I studied hard and got the highest grades.  

Life was going well until the Taliban destroyed our dreams and future. Now, I work as a janitor to help provide for my family’s expenses. I no longer feel like a young woman with dreams. I have lost hope. My life has turned upside down: I wanted to be a doctor in a hospital and now I’m a janitor in one.  

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewee and writer. Lala Shams is the pseudonym of a Zan Times journalist in Afghanistan.