Among so many serious issues facing Afghanistan, child labor is an issue of growing concern. Children are the builders of a nation's future. At times when Afghanistan is in dire need of future and present builders, unfortunately the suffering of children in this country is multiplying with the passage of each year.
Children that have to be at schools can be seen polishing shoes, cleaning cars and gathering papers and cans in areas where other people throw their garbage. Children work for little wages and therefore, are hired at workshops, restaurants, coal mines and hundreds of other places.
The current political tension, security problems, unemployment and low income have put the livelihood of vulnerable families at risk. Like many other countries in Afghanistan too, the root cause of child labor lies in poverty and socioeconomic inequalities. In Afghanistan, majority of the population is under the age of 18. According to estimates up to 30 percent of primary school age children are engaged in some form of work and are often the sole source of income for their families.
After the Soviet invasion in 1979, Afghanistan has been facing internal and external conflicts. Men have been killed or handicapped and there have been restrictions on women working outside their homes during and after Taliban government which have caused children to become laborers and breadwinners of their families.
The vicious circle of poverty in Afghanistan has trapped a large portion of population. Well being of thousands of families who are grabbed by in the cycle of poverty largely depends on the labor of their children. Majority of these children have to work hard from dawn to dark and leave no stone unturned to find money for buying something that their family could eat at night. Harsh winter or scorching summer does not matter for them. During their work they are treated rudely and harshly not only by their masters but also other people.
The entire key to the success in Afghanistan is education of the young towards tolerance, understanding and respect for all faiths and cultures and empowering them with basic aid, school supplies and economic opportunities, while providing security from entering the world crimes. The government must wake up on the issues facing the Afghan children. Child labor is against human rights and the government must work to address the main causes behind this problem.