Khatera is a petite, 20 year old woman from Kabul Province with a big friendly smile and a heartbreaking story. She came to WAW's Kabul Shelter two years ago because she needed help obtaining a divorce from her 65 year old husband, whom she was forced to marry. (Both of her parents are dead, and her mother married her off just before she died in order to "protect" her.) She lived with her fiancée's family for 6 months before they got married, and in all that time she was never allowed outside the house or access to any news source. Her husband's family members shaved her head and broke her back with the handle of a knife. Her brother said that a good woman never leaves her husband or gets a divorce. Khatera stayed with her husband for 6 months before running away to two other shelters, finally arriving at WAW.
What the Future Holds for Khatera
Over the past 6 years in shelters, Khatera says she's learned to feel like a whole person. WAW is helping her to find a safe place to leave so that she can transition back into the world. She would like to begin her education once her living situation is settled, and perhaps pursue her love of handcrafting.
