Twenty-year-old Shahsawar, a resident of Shiwa district in Nangarhar province, says he embarked on a journey to Europe through illegal smuggling routes in the hope of escaping economic hardship, but returned home with bitter and painful memories. Shahsawar has come back to his family after losing both his hands and feet and now requires assistance from aid organizations and philanthropists to obtain prosthetic limbs. He recalls spending 20 days on the Iran-Turkey border during the harsh winter, enduring hunger, thirst and freezing temperatures while fearing for his life. The threat of wild animals and the painful experience of witnessing the deaths of fellow travelers continue to haunt him. If you or a member of your family has traveled through smuggling routes, share your story with Pajhwok so that others can learn about the hardships and dangers of such journeys and avoid putting themselves at risk.
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