Poverty-stricken Herat youth turn to vending

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Most youth in western Herat province have started vending after late changes in the country which result in deep economic and humanitarian crisis.

Some youth vendors during chat with Pajhwok Afghan News said due to unemployment they were forced to start vending and still they were unable to support their families financially.

Ahmad Wali, who is engaged in vending in the western route of Masjid Jami in Herat City, said from the past six months he had been selling kids clothes in this location He said in the past he had a tailoring shop in Kabul but after political change he lost his job and came to Herat province.

He added if he stopped vending then he had to go to Iran and work there.

Ahmad Fahim, another vendor who has bachelor degree in politics and law, said if he gets a good job he would never vender on the roadside.

He also complained against the behavior of municipality officials and added they tried to remove them from the roadside and did not allow to work.

He added the fact the educated people were involved in vending showed an extreme level of poverty and financial crisis in the country.

He added hundreds of educated youth, including him, were busy in vending and daily earned up to 100 afs.

Tariq Faizani, an economic affairs expert and university teacher believed that youth were considered to be a strong working force of a country, adding that a country should benefit from its youth in different dimensions.

He warned the remaining youth will fly from the country if the government failed to provide them with job opportunities.

Herat City Municipality Spokesperson Mohammad Nasir Armal said due to congestion the Kandahar Darwaza, Jada-i-Lelami and other roads are organized and lines were drawn to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and nobody will be allowed to vender in those places.

Pajhwok reached to the Social Affairs and Work Department to get their view on the issue but no official was reached for comment.

It is pertinent to mention that unemployment had become a big challenge in the country which paved the way for the migration of youth out of the country.

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