The Department of Labor and Social Affairs of Jawzjan has reported that over 14,000 children in the province are engaged in hard labor. Noorullah Musafir, the department head, emphasized the urgent need for programs aimed at providing education and training to these children to help them escape their difficult circumstances.
Economic Pressures Force Children to Work
Kabul 24: Many children, including those in Sheberghan, the capital of Jawzjan, are compelled to work in brick factories instead of attending school. Economic challenges have left families with no choice but to rely on their children’s labor to meet basic living expenses.
Habib-ur-Rahman, a child laborer, expressed the necessity of work: “Out of necessity, we are making bricks here; we need to be helped to study because it is time for us to learn.” Another child, Yaseen, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the lack of educational opportunities available to them.
Families Struggling to Survive
Families of child laborers are often in dire financial situations, with daily incomes barely reaching 200 Afghani. Abdul Sattar, a laborer, lamented, “If we had the means, we would send our children to school.” The harsh reality is that many families are trapped in a cycle of poverty, working long hours in extreme conditions.
Calls for Action
The plight of child laborers has been echoed by other children and families across Afghanistan, who are urging authorities to provide educational opportunities and address their economic hardships. The situation in Jawzjan is a stark reminder of the broader issue of child labor in Afghanistan, where many children are forced to sacrifice their education for survival.
