Poverty compels children to work

Food insecurity threatens literates and illiterates alike

Getting knowledge and education is the right of every single person whether poor or rich and there should be no hurdle in acquiring education. Despite free education up to Fifth Standard, there are people whose children are out of school and are compelled to work because of the poverty and soaring price-hike.

Due to the evil of poverty unfortunately these young souls are unaware of the world around them and the neck breaking competition which is going to push them down further if they remained illiterate.

Abdul Wahab, 13 is deprived of education like hundreds of other boys in Rawalpindi. He sells polythene bags in various Sunday bazaars besides working with different vendors to earn money. He lives in Bakra Mandi, after fleeing away from Bajaur Agency due to bad law and order situation over there for quiet long time and deserted the hometown for good. He says, “I forget the time when we migrated to Punjab from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but I just remember the time when I used to play ‘Gilli Danda’ with friends. But since that time I have been living in Rawalpindi.”

“I have forgotten playing and I am so engrossed in my work and in earning money for the survival of my family that I feel study is wastage of time. We are more than 10 children who sell different things in various places. We all come and get back home at the same time. We have fixed one place for meeting and after that we reach home.”

“I try to visit almost every Sunday Bazaar for selling or helping other vendors in selling and then at the end they give me some money as a stipend for my work. I don’t think so education will give me benefit because there are lots of people who are educated and who have made shops in the Sunday bazaars to sell things.”

Even employed people are frustrated and worried about their livelihood due to low salary packages. Every single person is frustrated today. Munir Sharif working in a bank in Islamabad who has done Master in English Language but despite education is worried about future as he said talking to INFN, “I have done M.A English but despite that I am working in Islamabad on such a post which makes me feel ashamed. Simply it is not up to the mark you can say.”

He further said, “I don’t permit you to take my photograph for the Newspaper because I fear this way I may loss the job which already I have or may be transformed to far away place. I am compelled to sell kids wear in the Sunday bazaar in Peshawar More due to the high expenses. There is no value of talent in our country. People debate that more and more people are leaving this beloved homeland because they don’t have patriotism and the brain drain is increasing day by day due to the fear of survival.”

There is no worth for the talent and an insult of qualification is seen everywhere and nepotism is the order of the day. On the other hand literacy which plays a crucial role in making a nation prosperous is being denied to the have-nots.