Do we ever think?
Children we often see wiping windscreen of a stopped car at a traffic signal,
they have some ambitions and their own destiny to accomplish their desire dreams
like other children. They are precious in the eyes of the Father and deserve to
feel safe, valued, and loved. They are the future of Pakistan. They deserve to
have their basic needs and to have the opportunity to receive an education so
they have the hope of a more sustainable future.
The word “street children” usually refers to children who live and work on the
streets in public places such as markets or who don’t have enough money to
fulfill their basic needs such as food, clothes, education and etc. Many of
these precious children find themselves in this situation as the result of
poverty, war, abuse or other family issues.
Probably there are 100 million children living on the streets. However the exact
number of street children is nearly impossible to come by. These children
usually have little to no supervision from adults and out of desperation many of
them are forced to do things like beg and steal in order to survive.
Children who live on the
streets are unable to receive an education or proper healthcare. They are
incredibly vulnerable yet hard to protect making them an easy target for
exploitation.
A child “of the streets” these children have been desert by their family with no
surviving family members. They are only responsible for their own survival. They
have to find shelter and food however they can.
A child “on the street” these children have family and are in regular contact
with them. Many of them spend their days on the streets in order to escape abuse
or because of overcrowding in their home. In some instances a child “on the
street” is responsible for bringing in additional income for the family.
A child of a “street family” these children live on the streets with their
families. Usually these families have come up against a tragedy or hardship like
war, natural disaster or simply unemployment.
However, what is heartbreaking is to see very young children begging on their
caregivers’ behest. I have a small conversation with a child who was sitting
outside at Karachi University ate. He was 9 year old regarding his work and why
he wasn’t attending school. His reply was simple upsetting “Main school jana
chahta ho,aagr school jaun ga tou khana kaha sae kahayen gye.” (I want to go to
school but if I go to school, where will we eat from?)
In situations like these we usually end up blaming the government. However I
would put the burden of blame on the parents or caregivers of these children. It
is important to point out that there are a number of schools run by NGOs in
Karachi that pay underprivileged children to receive free education.
Unfortunately records show that many students drop out after attending these
schools for a few days. The reason is schools cannot match the earning that the
child brings home through begging! Why waste time on education when your 5 year
old child can earn more in a day dragging his/her bare feet on the roads! It is
here that the government seriously needs to intervene. While on one hand
programs aimed at poverty alleviation ought to strengthened and implemented
effectively.