With the name of kind God, greeting to you all fans of the Change in Life Compiegne programs; once again we have a discussion about the destiny of the beggar children and the responsibilities of the relevant organizations in this regard. The guests that we have today with us are Mr. Muhammad Bilal Siddiqi from the children section of the independence human rights commission of Afghanistan and Mr. Mira Noorzad from the Children in Crises Organization.
Question: Mr. Siddiqi; based on your opinions, in the current conditions how is the situation of the children in the country?
Answer: Regarding the situations of the children; it is to say that the different categories of the children are facing with a number of violence at the country level. In the current conditions more than five millions of the children at the society level are not having access to the rights of their education; these problems include security, absurd customs and traditions, distance from the educational centers and many other reasons.
From the other side it is seen that the children are busy with the heavy work on the streets of Kabul city; the children are working more than eighteen hours during the day, whereas the law is allowing those children to work who are above fifteen years and their work hours should not exceed more than thirty-five hours during the week but we are observing that the children are continuously working for eighteen hours. The children have no access to the health facilities whereas the health aspect is one of the rights of the children and like this there are a number of problems that the children are facing and as a whole we can say that some activities are done but the problems remained as usual because the basic activities in this regard are not done.
Question: What are the findings of the independence human rights commission of Afghanistan regarding the conditions of the children as compare to the previous years; Are the conditions improved or not?
Answer: Based on the investigations done by the commission in this regard; the condition is still anguish and an overall change has not occurred for example: whenever you refer to the violence data against the children during last year; six months of the current year shows twenty percent increase as compare to the last year. From the other side the heavy work of the children on the streets of Kabul has also increased; therefore we can say that the activities are just on the pieces of the paper and practically nothing has done.
Question: Is there any statistics with the independence human rights commission of Afghanistan which shows the number of beggar children busy in the streets of Kabul?
Answer: Though a detailed investigation is not done by the independence human rights commission of Afghanistan but based on the statistics provided by the other institutions of the civil society and those organizations which are working regarding the children show that the number of beggar children increased in Kabul city.
Question: Mr. Noorzad; based on your views what could be the reasons that lead the children towards begging?
Answer: Hello and greetings to all of you and the fans of the Change in Life Compiegne program, regarding your question I would like say that the reasons which lead the children towards begging in our country are social problems, economic problems, bias among the people of society, distance among the layers of the society, unemployment, lack of considering the social values, lack of law implementation, incorrect theories of the responsible institutions.
Question: You have mentioned different reasons; please give us more details about the two reasons, one the social reasons and the other cultural?
Answer: The social reasons which cause begging at the society could be the economic problems of the families, addiction of parents with the drugs and also their psychic problems could lead their children towards these actions.
From the other side; some of the people of the society because of the feelings and affections that they have, give the children of the street money; this action encourage those children who are busy in heavy work for begging, the fact is that it is not the problem of the people of the society but the lack of facilities for these children irritate us and we support them; whereas this is not the fact and it encourage most of them for this action.
Regarding the cultural issues; I would like to say that during the past clashes most of the people migrated to foreign countries and from there they brought the culture of begging with themselves and as a result they are busy in the society with these kinds of actions.
Question: Mr. Siddiqi; those families which are sending their children for begging is only because of their economic problems or there are some other reasons behind this?
Answer: It is to mention that most of the families are compelling their children for begging because of the needs that they have and some of the children without informing their families commit such actions. Children who are observing the same age children on the streets that they are getting money through this action as a result they are also encourage for such activities.
There are some families where there is no one among them to take care of their food; their father is already passed away or there would be some other problem, finally they use the children for earning money.
The other issue is that begging has become a custom and without thinking of its negative outcome people think of this action and they are saying that it is better than theft and body selling.
Finally, it is to mention that the Government has also not a proper schemes and plans for vulnerable children and families to support them as a result they attempt and prefer this action.
Question: Mr. Noorzad; what do you think about those children who are attempting begging would serve for themselves and the society in future?
Answer: Whenever we are talking about the future of the children, first we should see that what activities have been done in this regard; to the place we observe the practical work has not done regarding the begging children. In the year 1388 a commission which included fifteen governmental and non-governmental organizations was established and the purpose of this commission was to collect the begging children but there was not basic and practical work behind it. Therefore, if we could establish good ways or effective strategy and laws regarding the development of the conditions of these children then without doubt we will get good results and we would be optimistic regarding the future of the children.
Question: Mr. Noorzad; your organization is also working regarding the children, what activities have you done in this regard for the children?
Answer: The Children in Crises Organization at the society level had some activities which include public awareness at the society level, bias against the children, elimination of sexual harassments against the children and other legal issues of the children based on the law.
Question: To which extent your activities and efforts regarding the awareness about the rights of the children were fruitful and effective?
Answer: Although our organization is only working in five provinces of Afghanistan and therefore we cannot claim that we have done effective task all over the country; our organization’s activities were to a broader extent and I can say that we have done a lot regarding the awareness of the rights of the children.
Question: In total, how many children were brought under you programs?
Answer: Mostly we have struggled regarding the awareness about the rights of the children and their other needs to the parents and other people of the society but we don’t have an accurate statistics regarding this because it is the awareness issue and many people at the different layers of the society can take benefit of such programs.
Question: Mr. Bilal; previously there was a commission created where your organization was also a member of that commission, what activities and tasks were accomplished by the commission?
Answer: As the issue of begging had become a huge problem, therefore the civil society organizations expressed their worries in different ways and finally the president based on a commandment asked for creation of a commission regarding the collection of these children; it was mentioned that if there are people who are doing these activities based on the economic problems then they should be supported and if there are derelict children then they should be kept in the derelict children centers and if there are groups who are collectively committing such activities should be handover to the legal authorities for the punishment. Finally it was mentioned that if there is any kind of the problem regarding the begging should be taken under consideration and a solution for the problems to be identified.
Unfortunately, the leading of this commission was given to the Red Crescent organization and for the period of one year that they work; first there was not a sufficient budget for the accomplishment of these activities and from the other side this commission had no professional work to find out the root of the problem and solution for it.
As the Red Crescent is a non-governmental organization and it was running its activities based on the financial support of people and international organization and had no sufficient budget for this activity; the members of this commission had a request regarding changing the responsibility and leading of this commission from Red Crescent to the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) which is a governmental organization and can have budget from the Ministry of Finance. This request was given to the second vice president who is also a member of this commission but up to now there is not a clear image of what progress has been made.
Question: Mr. Bilal; is begging considered as a crime based on the laws of Afghanistan or not?
Answer: The action of begging is not considered as crime based on the laws of Afghanistan and therefore the relevant institutions are unable to treat with the committers seriously but those who are in different bonds and are misusing the children then their actions are considered as crime and they could be punished based on the law.
Question: Mr. Noorzad; until now, what steps have been taken regarding the beggar children and about other beggars?
Answer: Based on the statistics provided by Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD); it is mentioned that from the start of the process of collecting the beggars until now, two thousand beggars are collected. Among them one thousand and eighty seven are men, eight hundred and sixty are women and one hundred and two are the children. The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) created twelve centers; these centers could create occupations for these people but are not too much effective.
Question: Mr. Bilal; based on your opinion that activities which are done regarding the beggar children are effective or not?
Answer: Based on my views; there is not a remarkable activity in this regard, because we are the witness of increase the number of beggar children and heavy worker children in the streets of Kabul. The responsible institutions could not accomplish their duties are required and this issue refers to their management because we all see that the budget allocated for them is returned back because of the lack of capacity to utilize the allocated budget.
Question: Mr. Bilal; based on the laws, is there any work predicted for the children or not?
Answer: The Afghan Labor Law clearly state that those children who are above 15 years can work up to 35 hours a week and this should not stop them from their education and the main purpose of this is that when the children are free of their education beside their education they also learn an occupation.
Question: Mr. Noorzad; based on your views, what activities should be done so that we eliminate the begging at the society level?
Answer: For sure that the security related organizations should struggle and find those bonds and groups which are misusing the children for begging and hand over them to court and they should be punished, from the other side the government should provide financial assistance to those families which are in need of money so that they do not send their children in order to cope with their economic problems.
Question: Mr. Bilal; as a final question, what is your opinion in this regard?
Answer: Well; one of the effective ways could be an announcement of a clear command or adjustment command regarding the previous one which was about the collecting of the beggars and also hand over this responsibility to one of the governmental organizations which has budget and is able to work in this regard.
Second, in the laws it should be mentioned about the punishments of those who are attempting begging because until now whoever committed this action there is no authority to punish him/her.
Many thanks from you all that you follow our discussions until end.
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