Poverty, lack of a breadwinner, and economic difficulties have forced 11-year-old Abdul Basit to abandon education and work to provide for his family’s basic needs. Two years ago, he lost his father, and since then, poverty and misfortune have engulfed their family. Abdul Basit and his mother have to work to support their family of five.
Abdul Basit says, “My father was a workman, working on building construction. One day, while he was demolishing a section of the building to repair it, the ceiling fell down and trapped him under the ruins. All of our dreams got buried with him.” Basit recalls, “Studying in school was a golden period for me. However, life’s setbacks have taken that gift away, and I am now forced to work in a green grocery to provide for my family. In return, I get three loaves of bread costing 30 Afghani daily.”
It is not just Basit’s deprived destiny; many children like him have to endure hardships to provide for their families.
Basit explains, “After my father died, my mother could hardly provide a loaf of bread for her orphaned children. She washes clothes in the houses of other families so that we don’t go hungry.”
His younger brother has vision problem, and due to economic difficulties, and poverty they are unable to cure his sickness, Basit says. “His eyes are weak and cannot see properly. With the limited income that my mother and I have, we cannot afford to treat his eyes. We can hardly provide enough money for our basic needs.”
HBT identified this family, and after the survey, we provided them with a food package to fulfill their primary needs. Basit expresses his enthusiasm about going to school, “In the past two years, I couldn’t go to school due to economic problems and had to work. Now that I don’t go to school, I miss those beautiful days and greatly want to start school again.”
The only phenomenon that can stabilize him against life’s hardships and enable him to achieve the unfulfilled dreams and goals in his mind is education. Therefore, he seeks support from the HBT organization to continue his education. Quitting school not only raises tensions among children but also causes disappointments and divagation for them in the future.
In fact, your support for Basit can lift a heavy burden from his shoulders and give him a chance to continue his education and achieve his unfulfilled dream goals.
