....A Profile
This information on Afghan
Refugee children was collected by AliGohar, Additional
Commissioner, Social Welfare Cell CAR duringThe course of his
official work. He also took photographs of the children. More than a duty,
it is a labor of love, Sudhaar published this leaflet to
acknowledge the efforts of Ali Gohar in bringing the issues of Afghan Children working in Peshawar.
Overview
Afghan Children are facing a variety
of problems, but most of these
problems have been identified by
relief agencies and are being
addressed through various programs
or projects. In spite of intensive
efforts, there are some children who
are not reached by any program.
There are two categories of children mentioned in
this photo-report:
1) Children who roam around the streets and alleys
collecting things to sell
2) Children working in various trades, such as
vending or auto repair shops.
There are few programs to help either of these
groups of children, and both are vulnerable. In our daily life we can see street
children collecting trash from houses and garbage dumps. They collect food
(often eating what they find), plastic products, paper and boxes, or other trash
to sell in the local market. Some work for a dealer, other collect trash on
their own with friends. There are two worry about with these children. Of
particular danger is unhygienic food collected, eaten and often taken to home
for consumption by family members. The second danger comes from collected items
from hazardous dumps, such as those near hospitals where they find syringes
which can be resold, but which may pass on deadly diseases like hepatitis and
AIDS.
All these children work in very dirty conditions,
picking up unclean items, bones, paper and other items to sell at local market.
Many will use the money to buy something to eat at the bazaar, watch Indian
movies, and enjoy video games. They are also at risk as they enter into marginal
activities like begging or minor smuggling, but others move into lucrative
trades such as the sex trade, and many are at risk of drug addiction.
The opportunity for education is limited for most of
the children on the streets and in workshops. Most of them left their studies,
some after primary education, hanging on the streets doing odd jobs but not
availing themselves of the opportunity of further education.
Many of the children interviewed in Hayatabad
revealed that parents, especially mothers, are responsible for their taking on
odd jobs. But the mother may have no choice in the matter. Her husband may not
be able to adequately provide for the family (Because of poverty or other
problems such as drug addiction) and this forces her to send the children out to
earn money for the family. The children do what they can and are better at
begging than adults as people tend to sympathize more with a young kid in
tatters.
Street Children start their work early in the
morning and go to different locations in the city to gather garbage up to 11
A.M. They are then free in the afternoons. Most of them claim to be interested
in education, but they also stress the need to have some money of other things
for their family. This means that normal school hours of the morning are not
convenient for these children as their families depend on their income.
Afternoon schools with some vocational training will be more to their liking and
convenience. Prive differences across the border open up an opportunity for
street children to smuggle home goods like kerosene oil, diesel, wheat flour,
and other items. The local area with wealthy families also needs greater number
of street children for cleaning up the streets. Many children note that school
would not teach them any skills needed to work and earn money later. So they
quit studies.
Street children in Hayatabad in Peshawar figure in
this publication. We see them every day, but we often look away perhaps we need
to muster some courage to look into the hearts of these children and think about
their lives. They are our future, but they often see little hope.
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