How was the fate of the girl from the famous photo and how she looks 38 years later

In 1984, young photojournalist Steve McCarry crossed the Afghan-Pakistani border. In order not to draw attention to himself, he had to change into local clothes. Steve got a little tricky, sewing the film into his pants. The young photographer managed to take pictures in the Pashtun camp. Steve’s pictures were some of the first photos from those places.

A school for children was set up in the Afghan refugee camp. Classes were held in a tent. The photojournalist asked a teacher to attend the class. He wanted to take a few shots of the training process. Among the students, Steve noticed a girl with unusual eyes. He began to wonder about the fate of the child.

The teacher told him that the girl had been walking with her sister for several weeks to get to camp. McCarry took a picture of the girl in natural light. He had no idea at the time that the shot would become his “calling card.”

Steve McCarry

It was Steve McCarry who took the picture of a Pakistani girl that went around the world, and was called the “Afghan Girl. For a long time the identity of the girl was not known. Only seventeen years later, a photojournalist with colleagues tracked down the heroine of that photo. What the “Afghan girl” looks like now.

Sharbat Gula is the Afghan Girl. Her natural beauty, the incredible expression in her eyes and the inner light that contrasted so much with the events then taking place in Afghanistan, immediately made the photograph a symbol of the struggle for independence.

Sharbat Gula lived in poverty. It wasn’t until 17 years later, when a photographer found her, that she learned of her celebrity. The man had to work hard before he could find Sharbat. The woman had no trouble remembering the day the famous photo was taken.

Gula lives a very humble life. She is married and is raising three daughters. The woman asked not to disclose her place of residence. It is known that the heroine of the photo was found near the Afghan-Pakistani border. With her husband’s approval, the woman allowed herself to be photographed. A little later, a documentary about the “Afghan Girl” was made. A very interesting and vital picture.

The magazine’s team, which searched for our heroine, set up a charitable foundation. The foundation now works with all Afghan children in need of help. It’s not a world without good people.

Six years ago a woman was arrested. She was suspected of forging documents. Gula was deported to Afghanistan under a court order. A year ago the life of an “Afghan girl” underwent a major change. She asked the Italian authorities to leave the country. In the fall of 2021 our heroine moved to Italy with her family.

Now the “Afghan Girl” is about 50 years old (Gula herself is not sure of her age). Sharbat Gula has been through a lot of hardships in her life. We hope she has a silver lining in her life. Thank you for your attention. Subscribe to our channel, not to miss new and interesting articles.