Childhood as a full-time job-Working children in Afghanistan

In Kabul, Afghanistan,  13 year old, Sami Rahim works in a bakery from 6am till after 10pm six days a week to support his family. He earns about $80 a month, enough to support his entire family. Abdul Rafi at the downtown taxi ranks, making about $3 a day. He is only 9 years old and already has a coarse rasps from screaming at fares since he was six. Since he is the oldest brother of three, he is expected to support his family. It's tradition. Hekmat is a 12 year old boy who works in a metal shop for $6 a week. His hands our stained grey but needs to work support his family also.

Child labor in Afghanistan is an epidemic, where about 25% of Afghan children work. There are written laws prohibiting children under 14 from working full-time, however, child-protection specialist of UNICEF in Afghanistan states that the laws are widely ignored. In the U.S Labor Department report last year, the word "unavailable" is listed on the chart of Afghan working children, but it is estimated that about 2 million between the ages of 6 and 17 work. The report however does describe sexual abuse of children who herd livestock and of other children maimed or killed in construction jobs. Some of the children still attend school and like their jobs.

One of the boys, Mohammed, 25, who has been working since he was 8 years old, blames Western aid groups for not doing more to find alternatives for poor families and their children. Billions of dollars come to Afghanistan and much of it is wasted and stolen. Mohammed said "the system is corrupt and the Americans are a part of it".

"Childhood as a full-time job" by David Zucchio. Chicago Tribune: Nation and World, section 1, Sunday, May 11, 2014 (Could not find article link online)

-Jackie Bland