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The Taliban have taken over the Afghan capital Kabul -- twenty years after they last held power. President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country.

American embassy staff are waiting to leave the airport, while the Taliban have called for calm and promised there'll be no revenge.

One of Kabul's residents who is witnessing the chaos of the power vacuum and shift is Mahbouba Seraj, the head of the Afghan women skills development centre and a long time campaigner for women's and children's rights in Afghanistan.

She is furious at the international community for dropping her people like 'a hot potato'. But she also refuses to leave the country - and plans on approaching the Taliban to try to win them round to her work.

"I cannot leave everybody that I am in charge of, all of these women, all of these girls... I cannot just drop them and leave the country. So I'm going to be sticking around. What I'm really hoping is that when the Taliban comes at least we can have a talk to them... They might be the clever ones and know that actually what resources they have in the women of Afghanistan."

(Photo: A member of Taliban stands outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Credit: Reuters)

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