Fahima Noori had big dreams when she graduated from university in Afghanistan.
She had studied law, graduated from a midwifery programme and even worked in a mental health clinic.
But all that was taken away when the Taliban swept into power in 2021. They banned girls over the age of 12 from getting an education, severely restricted job options for women and recently removed books written by women from universities.
For Fahima, the internet was her last lifeline to the outside world.
“I recently enrolled in an online university [and] I had hoped to finish my studies and find an online job,” she said.
On Tuesday, that lifeline was cut off when the Taliban imposed a nationwide internet shutdown that is set to last indefinitely.
“Our last hope was online learning. Now [even] that dream has been destroyed,” said Fahima.
Her real name has been changed to protect her identity, as have the names of all others interviewed for this article.
Hellbound and Down 