KABUL (SW) – Several child laborers in Kabul shared their stories of how poverty and the need to support their families have driven them to the streets. Omid, an 11-year-old boy who transports goods with his handcart on the streets of the city, said he is the sole breadwinner for his family of eight.
He spoke about the hardships he faces daily: “I carry onions, potatoes, flour, and other items. My father is currently jobless. Most people don’t give me their loads, saying I can’t handle it and that I’ll drop it. The weather is hot, and the loads are heavy. These are the challenges. I earn 70 to 80 Afghanis a day; I save it to buy some flour.”
Despite attending school for three hours a day, Omid is too exhausted by nightfall to do his homework.
10-year-old Waris who sells water on Kabul’s streets for over five hours daily, shared his experiences of being mistreated and even detained due to his work. He said: “We are five family members. I am the only one working. I go to school at noon. The heat and cold don’t bother me anymore; I am used to it. When I offer water to people, they insult me and treat me poorly. They don’t allow us to work and arrest us. If I don’t work, my younger brothers, sisters, and mother will go hungry.”
Other child laborers have had to quit school entirely to work full-time and earn more.
Nayeeb, a 13-year-old boy who spends 12 hours a day collecting vegetable scraps from city garbage bins, said: “I don’t go to school; I studied until the second grade. There are ten people at home; I am the only breadwinner. I collect watermelon rinds and work at a cattle farm, finding feed for the cows.”
In a report released on Wednesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), it is stated that 160 million children worldwide are engaged in labor.
According to OCHA, 19 percent of children in Afghanistan are involved in hazardous work. The report emphasized: “In Afghanistan, 19 percent of children are involved in hazardous work, which poses a serious concern for their well-being and future. We must work together to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment.”
Experts in legal and social fields warn of the detrimental effects of child labor on the mental and physical health of children.
Ahmad Rashid Sediqi told Salam Watandar: “Engaging in hazardous work negatively impacts children’s mental and physical health, hindering their education and development. When children are sent to work, they encounter various forms of violence in their environment and society, which becomes ingrained in their minds and can lead to deviant behaviors in the future.”
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, without providing specific statistics on the number of child laborers in Afghanistan, assured that it is committed to combating child labor.
