The letters from different parts of Afghanistan express a tangled mix of confusion, resignation and fear. Pixabay
"Everyone has a right to narrate their story. Some of these stories will highlight and reveal human rights abuses and some will offer hope and solidarity," he said.
'SILENT WAR'
Afghanistan has been devastated by decades of war, stretching back to the conflict with the former Soviet Union from late 1979.
Violence, instability and poverty have touched virtually every family and many Afghans suffer from mental health problems. However, facilities for treating such illnesses are scarce.
Wahid Mayar, a spokesman for the public health ministry, estimated that about half of the population will experience mental stress during their lifetime, a consequence of war often overshadowed by daily struggles.
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"The suffering of mental illness in Afghanistan is a silent war. If peace comes then we will have to accept the new normal, but currently we are in a phase of tremendous uncertainty," Mayar said.
"The prospect of peace brings hope and anxiety. We wonder can peace ever come to embrace us, to calm our minds," he said.
Accurate data on mental health is not available in Afghanistan but the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates more than a million Afghans suffer from depressive disorders and more than 1.2 million from anxiety disorders.
The WHO says the actual numbers are likely much higher.
Nobody expects the letter-writing campaign to heal the wounds of more than four decades of conflict but it may allow at least some people to start working through their fears and prepare for an uncertain future.
"There are times when I want to run away from my country and then I think I should wait for peace and plan my life here," wrote one person.
"Kabul is always the best place to be." (VOA)