In October 2019 @byfarihah was launched on Instagram, the first original visual novel on Instagram. Follow the account of Farihah (English language), a teenager from Afghanistan who lives in the Netherlands. Farihah dreams of a life as an artist. She expresses her thoughts and feelings in her posts on Instagram. Her life is turned upside down when she hears she has to return to her country of birth.

The educational program of the project kicked off on October 31 (2019) at the youth festival WIRED in Rotterdam - location: the secondary school Melanchthon Mavo Schiebroek. During 2019-2020 approximately 5 schools in The Netherlands used the program during their classes. In 2022, the project was included in a scientific research project whilst the novel was promoted in 2024 by the library Midden-Brabant.

#waiting⠀
Sorry for not posting for in a couple of days. I've been busy with my appeal, collecting every snippet of my life which can prove my identity. Which is: a westernised girl who was once born in #afghanistan. It feels so strange. ⠀
This morni

#whereishome⠀
The train to Rotterdam will depart in ten minutes. Shahzadi and Kamelah have tears in their eyes. They both give me a strong hug, ask me to return as soon as possible. ⠀
My uncle is quiet, tells me to be careful. My aunt gives me bag fu

#snowleopard⠀
Jeopardy⠀
Leopard(y)⠀
Jeopardy ⠀
I dream about the leopard again. When I wake up, I can’t remember my dream. My fast heartbeat tells me it was a nightmare. ⠀
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#leopard #snowleopard #dream #nightmare #afghanistan #af

#whereishome⠀
The sweet smell of #qabuli brings tears to my eyes. I swallow down morsels of rice, carrots and lamb. It's my first warm meal in a week. After consuming a huge amount of food, my body starts to tingle. Suddenly, I feel extremely tired.

Please find a selection of the media attention for @byfarihah:

Research Project ELMCIP