Nimroz labour children seek government support for bright future

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Children involved in hard labour in southeastern Nimroz province have been worried about their future at a time when local officials announced the construction an orphanage for orphan girls in the near future and round up labour children.

This comes that as a result of poverty and deteriorated economic situation the number of labour children on streets and bazaars had increased, most of these children said they had to work to earn livelihood for their families.

Shakour, 14, is one of the labour children who work hard from dawn to dusk in a building to earn bread for his family.

He who lost his father in the past conflicts has to earn livelihood for his five member family.

“I was in class four when my father was martyred in a mine blast, initially my mother worked but from the past two years I also work therefore I quit school,” said Shakour.

He like other children has dreams in his heart but poverty and unfortunate incident forced him to work and spend his days on the streets and roads.

“I wanted to study and become a pilot but my father martyred,” he said.

With disappointed body language, he said I earn daily 150 afs which could not compensate our expanses therefore I want to go to Iran illegally.

Ihsanullah, 12, another child, who works from morning to evening on the roads and streets of Zaranj. He collected scraps and used materials and sell them.

His disappointed with his future and said: “My father went to Iran three years ago and did not returned, my mother was sick and she died, I am left with my two sisters and one brother, I collect bottles, scraps and plastic and sell them to purchase few breads.”

He is extremely worried about his own and his sisters and brother’s future.

Naeem is another child who work in a bricks Kiln. He said: “My father was addict and died last year, my mother is also addict, we live with our uncle, he beat me and say go and work.”

He also said the he wished to study and have a bright future but he has to work and has no other option

The trio have asked the government to provide them with education facility.

Naqibullah, a civil society activist, said hundreds of children daily left school and refer to hard labour.

He expressed his concern over the increasing number of labour children in the province and said: “These children are the asset of future for the country and government should provide them full support.”

He believed more orphanage houses should be built in the province where parentless children could be provided with care and looked after.

Mawlavi Zubair, head of the Nimroz Work and Social Affairs Department, said the process to rounding up children vulnerable children will start soon.

“I will do my best for homeless children so that they can benefit from welfare services, bread, water, health services, education and technology like other children.”

He added: “According to the guidance of the center, we want to collect 100 male children from the city of Zaranj and the five districts of Nimroz and keep them in the orphanage.”

He added 30 vulnerable children would be collected from Zaran City, 30 from Dilaram district, and 10 each from Kang, Chakhansour, Khasrud, Chaharburjak districts.

The source acknowledged surge in the number of labour children in the province but did not provided exact figures in this regard.

According to Mawlavi Zubair, The number of orphaned boys and girls in this province was high, but in the first step only 100 children will be accepted. More vulnerable children would be absorbed in the future.

He said: “We received an order for a girls’ orphanage from the ministry, and soon a girls’ orphanage will be established with all the facilities that are available for boys.”

He said currently 70 children were being looked after in the provincial orphanage and they are provided with all necessary facilities.

Nh