Poverty drives Ghor’s children from school into hard labour

FEROZKOH (Pajhwok): A number of poor and orphaned children in the western province of Ghor say poverty has forced them into hard labour instead of attending school, appealing for access to education.

Experts stress the urgent need for economic and educational support, while officials point to ongoing assistance programmes.

Nearly four decades of conflict have increased poverty and unemployment, leaving hundreds of widows and orphans across the country.
Ghor is no exception, where widespread poverty, joblessness and limited access to education have compelled many children to engage in hard labour.

Experts warn that if the situation continues, children will be deprived of education and the cycle of poverty will deepen, urging serious attention from relevant authorities and aid organisations.

Hazrat Mir, a 15-year-old boy, begins his mornings not with schoolbooks but with a worn bag of shoe-polishing tools as he heads to the streets of Ferozkoh, the provincial capital. With tired hands, he polishes shoes — work he says is too heavy for a child.

Speaking quietly, with a heavy heart but a sense of hope, he says: “I wanted to go to school like other children, have books and become a doctor, but my father is ill and I am forced to work.”

He explains that his father is paralysed and bedridden, adding that work becomes even harder during cold and snowy days.
At such times, he cannot provide for his four-member family and sometimes returns home empty-handed.

“Some days, when the weather is very cold and snowy, I cannot earn any money and return home empty-handed or with just two or three loaves of bread,” he says.

He appeals to officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), charitable organisations and philanthropists to help support his family and create educational opportunities for him and his younger sister.

Hazrat Mir’s mother, deeply concerned about her son’s future, says poverty, hardship and her husband’s illness have forced them to send their child to polish shoes instead of attending school.

However, Hazrat Mir is not the only child driven into shoe-polishing by economic hardship.

In different parts of Ferozkoh, dozens of children work daily to help ease their families’ financial difficulties.

Ramazan, another 12-year-old in Ferozkoh, spends his days collecting fuel materials and scrap iron instead of going to school.

“Every day from morning until evening I collect scrap iron and wood, earning 50 to 60 afghanis. I buy dry bread, tea, sweets and some other items and take them home. I want to go to school, but if I do not work, there is no bread in our house. I wish one day I could study and live like other children,” he says.

Ramazan is an orphan and works so his mother and sister do not go hungry.

Referring to children who attend school, he adds: “I really want to go to school and study, but my mother says if you do not work, how will household expenses be covered?”

Meanwhile, Amir Hamza, a 14-year-old in Ferozkoh, spends half of his day collecting plastic waste and coal residue to help keep his five-member family warm during winter nights.

“When schools were open, I went to school in the morning and worked in the afternoon, but now from morning until noon I collect plastic, soft-drink bottles, mineral water bottles and coal residue from markets and streets and bring them home. My mother uses them as fuel, bread and tea are prepared and we stay warm,” he explains.

He adds that his father’s daily wage labour and limited income cannot meet the family’s needs, leaving them to survive with minimal resources.

Amir Hamza dreams of returning to school and lifting his family out of poverty. “I wish help could be provided so we too can study like other children and try to improve our lives,” he says.

Zainab, the 37-year-old mother of Amir Hamza, says she worries every day when her son leaves home to work.

With a heavy heart, she says: “No mother is happy to see her child doing hard labour; I want my children to study and become educated, but when there is no bread, schooling is not possible.”

She stresses that if the government and organisations provide sustainable assistance and educational opportunities, she will send her children to school instead of work.

Education expert Ahmad Wafaq says: “We see many children who cannot go to school because of poverty and hardship. Their families are unemployed, have no breadwinner and face serious economic problems. As a result, children are forced into difficult and exhausting work.”

He emphasises that children are the future builders of the country and warns that most working children miss out on schooling and literacy — a situation that will harm the nation’s future.

“The government and partner organisations must make every possible effort to provide educational opportunities for such children,” he says.

He also urges national and international organisations to help children return to school through economic support and targeted educational programmes.

Meanwhile, Director of Labour and Social Affairs Nasrullah Ansar told Pajhwok Afghan News that 500 working children had been identified in the provincial capital in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partner organisations.

Of these, 90 receive monthly financial assistance of 2,000 afghanis, 104 families have joined vocational programmes and 250 children have been enrolled in preparatory classes.

He added that 330 orphaned children, including 90 girls, had been enrolled in orphanage programmes with access to education.

Nearly 600 deported children were reunited with their families with the support of non-governmental organisations, while 70 sick children were referred for medical treatment.

Officials also addressed 120 juvenile legal cases and distributed winter aid packages to 700 children with UNICEF assistance, he concluded.

kk/sa