(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News)
ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Impoverished and orphaned children in northwestern Nimroz, who collect garbage to bring home a piece of bread for their families, are asking the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to support them and provide them education opportunity.
In this cold harsh weather, children in the alleys and backstreets of Nimroz are struggling to survive. These children, many of whom are orphaned or affected by war and poverty, search through garbage heaps for fuel or materials they can sell.
Sher Ahmad, an orphaned child
Sher Ahmad, 12, is one of these children. He, along with his brother and sister, spends every day from dawn to dusk searching through garbage piles to gather wood and scraps to heat their house and meet their daily needs.
With a sad voice, Sher Ahmad says,“We don't have parents. Our grandmother lives with us, and we have to work. If we don't work every day, we stay hungry.”
He says they collect and sell some reusable materials like soda cans and use the money to buy bread, but they use plastic and paper to heat their house.
Like many other children, Sher Ahmad has had to leave school due to the extreme winter cold and endless poverty, and now he spends his days searching for garbage.
He, who dreams of studying like other children and building a bright future, asks the IEA to provide him and other children the opportunity to receive education as they cannot study because of poverty,
Javed and Jamila, two siblings who also collecting garbage due to father's addiction
Javed, 8, and Jamila, 10, are two siblings who, in this severe cold, search for reusable materials in garbage dumps.
Javed says,“My father is addicted to drugs. My sister and I have to work to earn money for our mother. In the morning, our mother gives us a plastic bag and tells us to find bread and firewood for the night.”
These siblings shiver from cold, but they continue their search so that they don't return home empty-handed.
Jamila says,“My sister and I like going to school. All the children and girls go to school, but we can't because we don't have school supplies or bags.”
Javed, who also wants to study and build a good life in the future, asks the IEA to provide educational opportunities for him and other poor children who are unable to attend school.
Bismillah Seerat, a social activist in Nimroz province, told Pajhwok that children without guardians or those from poor economic backgrounds are forced to beg, collect garbage, or do hard labor to support their families.
He added that some children are also coerced into these activities by mafia networks.
He added that most of these children are under 15 years old and are deprived of education, so serious attention should be given to their situation.
Seerat suggests that first all these children should be gathered and categorized, separating orphaned children from those with bad guardianship.
He continued,“Children who are controlled by mafia networks should be separated and handed over to families or support organizations.”
He emphasized that for orphaned children, opportunities for education or vocational training should be provided to secure a better future for them.
Seerat also proposed that employment opportunities should be arranged for the guardians of these children so that they do not have to force their children to work.
Maulvi Muhammad Qasim Mubashir, head of the Department of Labor and Social Affairs in Nimroz, says they have launched a survey to support orphaned children, and as a result, orphaned children have been placed in separate boys' and girls' orphanages.
He says,“We plan to expand the survey across the province, so that children who beg on the streets will be sent to the relevant departments, and those who are orphaned will be placed in orphanages. For those children who have guardians but are forced to beg, we will obtain guarantees from their families to ensure they will not exploit their children in the future.”
According to him, the Department of Labor and Social Affairs has currently enrolled 50 boys and 15 girls in orphanages in Nimroz, each has a capacity of 200 children.
Mubashir added,“The designated committee continuously collects orphaned children and those who beg on the streets. Our efforts to support orphaned and street children continue.”
Based on his information, recently, a charity organization provided winter clothing for 15 children in the girls' orphanage, and the Department of Labor and Social Affairs also distributed winter clothing to 120 orphaned children.
sa/ma
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