Egg-sellers back in business

Sohail Rashid

After remaining jobless for almost half a year, the city’s egg-sellers are back in business with the onset of winter.

Carrying a pot of boiled eggs and raising slogans to grab public attention, these egg-sellers are usually spotted at night. Most of these vendors belong to the age group of 6 to 18 years. The young lads earn their livelihood during winters and remain jobless for the remainder of the year. Some of them are fortunate enough to have an alternative source of income. Many are students who have to meet their educational expenditures themselves as their families cannot afford to foot their fees.

“I am a student of grade 4 in a government school and this is how I make my pocket money,” 10-year-old Zaman, who was selling eggs on Saidpur Road stated. He has to sell two dozen eggs daily to be able to earn Rs100. He keeps Rs50 for himself and gives the remaining half of the amount to his mother. “It takes almost three hours per day to sell all eggs,” he added.

Shams Khan is another young egg vendor who sells by walking in vicinity streets of Sir Syed Chowk. He said that he belongs to a poor family and his father is a daily wager so he has to help his family in meeting their daily needs. “This is an easy way to earn some money as it takes less effort and time because in winter nights everyone loves to have boiled eggs,” he said.

“I am an office boy in Sector G-8 but since my income is insufficient, I sell eggs at night to supplement my income in order to be able to cater to my family expenses,” Shehzad Ahmad, another vendor said. He is the only earning member of his family. “Most of my customers are students living in flats and hostels. Many a time, it only takes a visit each to two hostels and I am done for my sale of the day,” he added.

Most of these child vendors are very innocent. Often, soft-hearted people help them with money without buying eggs from them. “I feel sorry for these young vendors. Children need care and protection in this cold season but these innocent poverty-stricken souls have to work in extreme weather conditions. So whenever I come across any such child, I try to help him,” said Rafique Anjum, a resident of Rawalpindi and a social worker.