DistantNews
Support us
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Conflict & Security

“Maybe one day I will be able to dream again”: A dialogue between two sisters separated from Kabul to Switzerland

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Layla left Afghanistan for Switzerland, while her younger sister Roya remained in the country after the Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, 2021.
  • The sisters’ lives diverged sharply: Layla had been pursuing higher education, while 13-year-old Roya was taking a school exam when gunfire erupted outside.
  • The article presents their testimonies as the family navigates separation across Afghanistan and Switzerland.

“Maybe one day I will be able to dream again.” From Kabul to Switzerland, two sisters describe lives pulled apart by the Taliban’s return to power.

Layla had left Afghanistan for Switzerland, where she now lives in the Mittelland. Her younger sister, Roya, remained behind. The two had once been close, but they now live thousands of kilometers apart.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul. Only days earlier, few people seemed to believe that the fighters could reach the capital. Many expected the city, protected by its police and established institutions, to hold out, while the regular army fought the “students” for control of the country.

Layla was 21 at the time. She enjoyed her higher education and appeared to have a promising future. Roya, then 13, was sitting an exam at school when gunfire rang out in the street.

Five years later, their paths have diverged completely. The family managed to arrange Layla’s escape, and she now lives in Switzerland. Roya stayed in Afghanistan. The article brings the sisters’ testimonies together to show the distance between their lives after the events that reshaped their country.

Maybe one day I will be able to dream again

· Layla or RoyaThe headline captures one sister’s expression of a future made uncertain by separation and the Taliban’s return to power.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog