Anthrow Circus

Afghanistan, Land of Invincible Women Resolute in the Face of Tragedy

PUBLISHED IN DARI AND PASHTO

ARTICLE BY W.H.

If you’re a woman born and raised in Afghanistan, you live in war against nearly everything in life. Too often, even from your very first breath outside the womb, you are not really welcomed by your own family—or if you’re blessed with good parents, society and certain people’s mindsets work to steal the smile from your face.

Aliakbar Sakhi Pursued His Dreams for His Country to the End

Aliakbar turned 34 years old in June 2022. He was a loving father to three boys and a devoted husband to his supportive wife, Karima. Originally from Dushi, Baghlan, he was an IT expert and CEO of his IT consultation company. Aliakbar was heavily involved in charitable and humanitarian projects throughout his adult life. He founded HikeVentures Afghanistan in 2017 to help others develop skills in mountaineering, climbing, and trekking, and to enable people to safely enjoy Afghanistan’s unparalleled natural beauty. He was at the forefront of raising funds for underprivileged communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and collected and distributed aid to victims of natural and manmade disasters.

France’s Gas Shortage: A Look Into the Latest French Strike Affecting Daily Life

ARTICLE BY KRISTEN VONNOH

After waves of COVID-19 and the impending effects of war in Ukraine for the upcoming winter, France has been facing a pénurie d’essence—a gas shortage—for much of October.

Strikes that began in late September continued across the country last week. France’s second largest trade union, CGT, had called for employees in all public sectors to defend “wage increases and the defense of the right to strike.”

The French government reacted with sweeping measures in mid-October as the gas crisis worsened, forcing employees of the two ExxonMobil refineries to return to work or risk fines or jail time.

Togo : La vaccination contre le Covid-19, un mal nécessaire ?

ARTICLE ET PHOTOGRAPHIES PAR AJ JOHNSON
TRADUCTION ANGLAISE PAR KAMI L. RICE

Au Togo, la campagne de vaccination contre la Covid-19 a commencé le 11 mars 2021, grâce à l’initiative Covax, qui a délivré un premier lot de 156.000 doses du vaccin AstraZeneca. Covax est une initiative de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) qui, parmi ses plusieurs objectifs, assure un accès équitable aux produits de diagnostic, de traitements et de vaccins contre la Covid-19.

Les doses reçues étant en nombre limité, le gouvernement togolais a mis en place un plan de vaccination en plusieurs phases. Ce plan préconise l’administration des premières doses du vaccin au personnel du corps médical, ensuite aux personnes âgées de 50 ans et plus, puis aux personnes plus jeunes souffrant d’une maladie chronique, et enfin au reste de la population de plus de 20 ans. Un site web officiel a ainsi été mis en place pour gérer la campagne de vaccination.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY AJ JOHNSON
ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY KAMI L. RICE

In Togo, thanks to the Covax Initiative, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began on March 11, 2021, following the receipt of a first batch of 156,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. Covax is a World Health Organization initiative that among its several objectives, ensures equitable access to diagnostic products, treatments, and vaccines against COVID-19.
Since a limited number of doses were received, the Togolese government implemented a multi-phase vaccination plan. This plan calls for the first doses to be administered to medical personnel, then to people aged 50 and older, next to people under 50 suffering from a chronic disease, and finally to anyone 20 years old and up. An official website was set up to manage the vaccination campaign

View From a Pandemic: Feeling Symptoms in Togo

STORY AND PHOTOS BY AJ JOHNSON
ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY KRISTEN VONNOH

Covid-19, entre corruption et angoisse

J’ai récemment voyagé au Bénin, un des pays voisins, dans le cadre de mon travail. Avant de partir je me suis assuré de faire un test Covid qui s’est avéré négatif. Pour ce voyage j’avais décidé de prendre la voie terrestre puisque, de sources sûres, quoiqu’officiellement les frontières terrestres étaient fermées, il était assez bien possible de traverser la frontière sans aucun problème—à condition de payer des frais, non déclarés, aux différents postes de contrôles que ce soit du côté du Togo, mon pays de départ, que du pays d’arrivée.

COVID-19, Between corruption and anguish

I recently traveled to the neighboring country of Benin for my work. Before leaving, I made sure to take
a COVID-19 test, which was negative. I decided to take the land route for this trip since reliable sources
informed me that although land borders were officially closed, it was quite possible to cross the border without any problem, provided I paid undeclared fees at the various checkpoints on the Togo side, my country of departure, as well as on the Benin side.

View From a Pandemic: Ramadan in Jordan in Coronavirus Times

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BATOOL Al-DULIGAN

Ramadan’s vibe in Jordan brings streets full of twinkling lights and colorful lantern decorations; tents pitched especially for nighttime gatherings; children playing in their neighborhoods and celebrating with fireworks; traffic jams; overcrowding in restaurants and bakeries before the call to maghrib prayer at sunset; and people rushing home to break the fast and enjoy the iftar before setting off again to the streets. p>

Jordanian Costumes: The Embroidered History of Palestinian and Jordanian Thobes, Part 3

ARABIC ARTICLE, ENGLISH TRANSLATION, & PHOTOS BY BATOOL AL-DULIGAN

The embroidery style in Jordan, called al-roqma, differs from that of Palestine. The stitches resemble the numbers seven and eight in the Arabic language. Most thobes in Jordan were black, and the embroidery colors were the only difference between them. For instance, people in northern governorates traditionally preferred blue, red, yellow, and white embroidery together in the same dress. Additionally, some regions in Jordan, such as the southern governorates, use beads in their embroidery instead of thread.

The Embroidered History of Palestinian and Jordanian Thobes, Part 1

ARABIC ARTICLE, ENGLISH TRANSLATION, & PHOTOS BY BATOOL AL-DULIGAN

Traditional clothing in the Arab world is tied to traditions, heritage, and identity. Every Arab country has costumes that make it unique and distinct from other countries. Traditional embroidery patterns, for example, distinguish one nation’s clothing from another, acting like regional stamps or signatures.

MicroView From a Pandemic: Hungary

ENGLISH AND HUNGARIAN TEXT BY ZSOFIA GERLEI
PHOTOS BY ARMON MEANS

Just like most parts of the world, Hungary registered its first COVID-19 cases in March. Nine months ago, as I write this in December, which should feel like a long time but honestly it doesn’t. Maybe because looking back at it, it hasn’t brought much of a change for me.