The withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan is a done deal, but what happens with the explosive remnants of war the troops are leaving behind? Victims hope that the NATO summit comes up with answers.
Victims rely on people like Rahmat to provide help
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"I used to feel bad about my condition," Rahmat Merzayee says. "Whenever I would see a girl on the street, I would wish I wasn't there and hide myself." He stops for a moment. Then his blue, pale eyes twinkle with joy again. "Today I have learned to live with my condition. My work has given me so much self-confidence."
Rahmat was just nine years old when he lost both of his legs. He stepped on a mine while playing outside. Just for a brief moment, just for a second he didn't look where he was going and his life changed forever. Since then Rahmat has had to wear prostheses and can only move with the help of his crutches. But giving up is not an option.
Rahmat is a program manager at the Afghan Landmines Survivors' Organization (ALSO) in Kabul and an active member of the group "Ban Advocates," which represents the demands of survivors of accidents involving land mines or other explosive remnants of war at international conferences. Here, he has the chance to stand together with other victims and speak up for them.
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