It’s been more than eight years since Rizawangul NurMuhammad has been able to talk to her brother, Mewlan.

Speaking to Newsroom from the UK, where she’s completing her PhD, NurMuhammad says it’s hard to believe that in the 21st century – “when you can just press one button and talk to someone at the other end of the world” – she has been disconnected from her brother for so long.