Unemployed people wait for employers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
KABUL, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- As winter approaches, life in Kabul, Afghanistan, is measured not by plans or dreams, but by small daily victories -- finding work, buying food, and keeping homes warm.
Walid Wahedi, a 50-year-old engineer, spends his days searching for work in the city where opportunities are scarce, and prices are soaring. The monthly income of the 11-member family barely reaches 10,000 afghanis (about 140 U.S. dollars), enough to meet basic needs but leaving little for emergencies or long-term security.
"We are just getting by ... Food and everyday necessities have become almost unaffordable," Wahedi said, expressing hope that the government will create more job opportunities, especially for young people.
Wahedi's experience reflects the struggles of thousands. Hekmatullah, a master's graduate in international relations, frames the hardships as part of a long-standing struggle.
"For more than 40 years, poverty has been a constant companion of our people," he said. "Illiteracy, inequality, and ongoing instability have shaped this reality."
Hekmatullah also stressed that lasting change requires cooperation. "The only real solution is for the government and the people to work together. With public support, broader and more effective solutions can be found."
For many families, the hardships of poverty are also deeply personal. Safura, a widow with two sons, feels the approach of winter as a wave of challenges: rising food prices, a cold and hard-to-heat home, and constant worry about her sick son. Her other son works as a daily laborer, earning a small and uncertain income.
As temperatures fall, families like Safura's face not only hunger and cold, but also the looming threat that illness and poverty will deepen their hardships.
For families struggling to survive, the government is taking steps to offer hope for a more stable and sustainable future.
The Afghan Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said it has issued 45,000 work permits for the past year and expanded vocational and skills-based training programs to equip jobseekers with practical skills.
"These initiatives aim to strengthen the workforce and create a more organized labor market," said Samiullah Ibrahimi, a ministry spokesperson.
For those who continue to search for work, care for their families, and believe in tomorrow, Kabul tells a story not only of hardship, but of hope tied to a future where work is available, prices are stable, and survival no longer depends on day-to-day uncertainty. ■
Unemployed people wait for employers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
An Afghan boy sells second-hand textiles in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
An Afghan girl peddles tea in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
An unemployed man waits for employers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2025. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)
