2,000 Children are Doing Heavy Work in Khost, Why?

These children and their parents say that if they do not do work, then there is no sustenance provider for family and poverty forces them to work instead of studying.

Shamsurahman, 10-year-old boy, came from Laghman and now lives in Gurbuz district of Khost, says that he works supporting family beside his father and two brothers in a brick kiln.

Shamsurahman goes to kiln at 6 o’clock in morning to late afternoon, making bricks under hot sun of summer with his father and brothers.

“I make bricks, press mud into molds and empty it there. We are obliged, it’s hard, we don’t have money, therefore we work here.”

Shamsurahman’s father Muhammad Akbar says that his sons were going to school, but the economic problems of the family were going up day by day, so they left school and now, working with him in the brick kiln.

Muhammad Akbar says that this work is too hard for his sons, but they do due to obligation. “One was in the 8^th grade, left school, the other one was in the 6^th grade, left school and this one was in the second grade. I took him also with me, and we are busy in work here. We come early morning and leave in the evening; enough sustenance cannot be provided, there is no business, we are forced to come here.”

Usmanullah, a 12-year-old orphan living in Tani district, says that it is difficult for young children like him to work in brick kilns, but he has to work as the only food guardian of his family; so, that his family does not remain hungry.

“School was left for family protection, I work hard. My family tell me to bring flour, there are no other goods, it’s our poverty. I have studied school four years and the remaining was left.”

Alternatively, the officials of the Department of Labor and Social Affairs of Khost say that more than 2,000 children are engaged in heavy work in this province, some of them have displaced from other provinces of the country.

Director of Labor and Social Affairs, Sahib Jan Haqani says that we have communicated with various institutions for the education of these children. So, they can study instead of work.

“We have started programs with different institutions to educate these children and as well as providing sustenance for their families, we can assure you that vocational training will be provided for 474 children and young to earn lawful sustenance for their families.”

Worth mentioning that according to the labor law of Afghanistan, children under 18 years of age do not have the right to work; however, because of extreme poverty, this principle is not considered and many children do heavy work for families in different parts of the country.

Translated by Muhammad Yousuf “Zakir”