Nuristan – a remote province with poor people but with a rich and unique culture, hospitality, and big hearts

Hidden in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan, Nuristan is mostly covered by forest, snow and stunning rivers filled with snow water, creating breathtaking scenes that caress the eyes. Nuristan is Afghanistan's least populous province and because of its remote location, the difficult road conditions and security issues, not many Afghans have visited the province. The province has some of the most dramatic landscapes in the region. Most people in Nuristan are poor but they have a rich and unique culture and big hearts.

Unlike most other provinces where Pashto and Dari are the widely spoken languages, people in Nuristan mainly speak Nuristani language. I was told by a local that they speak different dialects from one district to another, which was surprising for me. However, a minority of the residents also speak Dari and Pashto, and the two national languages sometimes act as a common language that connect everyone in the province.

We traveled from Nangarhar via Kunar for almost nine hours off-road to reach the provincial capital Parun. Only a few NGOs operate in Nuristan because of the lack of safe roads and other infrastructure facilities. However, FAO’s presence was felt quite strongly.

Nuristan is mostly covered by mountains and has little arable land for agriculture, which is why most of the people depend on livestock for their livelihood. They keep cows, sheep and goats in very traditional stables, which they have used for hundreds of years, and this is the main source of their income.

Livestock is a key asset for people in the province, and this asset is endangered by harsh and long winters and now Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). LSD is a disease that affects cattle, and it is transmitted by blood-feeding insects. During our visit to Nuristan, the FAO Representative launched LSD vaccination campaign and inaugurated several other projects, including distribution of concentrated animal feed to help livestock owners keep their animals healthy during the harsh long winters when there is no fresh grass available to feed their animals and to protect them against LSD as well.

When we arrived in Wama, our first destination in Nuristan, to inaugurate the animal feed distribution, we were welcomed very warmly by the people. They were very happy with FAO’s assistance, and we could see the happiness in their faces as they smiled. Children were also very happy, and they welcomed us with posters thanking FAO.

During our stay in Nuristan, we also inaugurated several other FAO projects and campaigns, including forest management programs, the distribution of home gardening tools, and cash-for-work programmes.

The beauty of Nuristan is simply breathtaking. I had the honor to walk through this spectacular and beautiful land as part of my mission as a Digital communication officer with the FAO delegation to portray and showcase the status of agriculture and the livelihood of people with my photos and videos, and this was a completely new experience for me!

It is an experience that one should not miss. No other place in Afghanistan can offer such a mind-blowing landscape and unique culture.