Child Labor and its Negative Physical Effects

 written by: Mir Aqa Itebar

According to the information provided by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Afghanistan, about three million Afghan children face 24 types of dangers, one of them is hard work. About two million children are busy hard working. Child labor causes children some physical problems.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some such children and their parents about this issue.

Nurshed, a resident of Kapisa province says: “Our family consists of 9 members and our family economy is not good. My father told me that if I work in a car workshop,

they will pay me at least 100 afghanis a week, which would be sufficient for us, and I accepted. I always lift heavy car machines in the workshop and one day the machine dropped from me and it cut my fingers.”

Rahmatullah, a resident of Parwan province says, “I am from a poor family and I have to make money. I am  a porter and have a kart I carry loads. Once I was loading a bundle of plastic and as it was too heavy, I faced a testicular hernia. I treated it but I still feel a bad pain.”

How do some people have found a solution to this issue?

Zamanuddin, a resident of Laghman province says, “Although our economy is not convenient, I have never forced my children to work.

I thought that if I could prepare them an applicable work for them. Finally, I bought a kart for them and they are selling falafels on the roadside for half a day and in the afternoon, they go to school.”

Zmarai, a resident of Bagram district, Parwan province says, “I asked my child that what kind of jobs he likes. He replied, tailoring. I sent him to a tailor near our home for learning tailoring and the tailor pays him 50 Afghanis at the end of the week. My child goes to school too.”