Despite being 10 years old and in need of an education, Sahar is forced to work tirelessly to provide food for her family due to their circumstances. On hot  a summer day, while other kids were going to school, she was wandering aimlessly in the streets, collecting plastic bags, used water bottles, cans, and other materials we often consider worthless. However, she was collecting these items to buy food.

Unfortunately, Sahar’ s reality is felt by millions of children in A forced into poverty. Without a choice, they resort to the streets of Kabul to survive. In addition, deprived from her childhood rights, she was forced to work extremely hard, which impacted her physical and mental health significantly.

Sahar stated,

“I had to work on  the streets to find the money for 5 loaves of bread to support my family. My brother was also working alongside me”.

Sahar is from Khost Province. 7 years ago, while her father was alive, she and her family took refuge in Kabul.

Sahar stated,

“My father’s duty station was in Kabul city; therefore, we traveled to Kabul city. My father had always encouraged me to study, but unfortunately, they killed him, and my dream of studying died with him as well”.

Moreover, based on statistics, millions of kids are working on the streets in Afghanistan because of poverty and indigence. As a result, most of them are not offered opportunities to pursue education, instead they become street dwellers.

Sahar describes her love for education,

“I really would love to go to school and study. It breaks my heart to watch other kids attend school while I frequent on the streets for survival.  It was Indigence and lack of access to education have jeopardized my future”.

Her mother says

” They had to work because we had no choice. I knew well that It would produce negative outcomes . sometimes, I thought of stopping them from working, but I couldn’t because of hunger and poverty”.

Since 2016, HBT Charity has strived to provide educational opportunities for unsupported and orphaned children in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. In addition, we have prevented 60 working children from resorting to the streets and provided them with educational opportunities. Moreover, HBT has supported their families as well.

With the help of HBT, Sahar’s wishes have come true and she is hopeful for a better life and future.

Sahar gleefully said,

” I got the first position in my class. I always wished to study like other children, but I felt hopeless because of destitute. However, now I have a fantastic opportunity to learn. I try hard day and night, and I know that I will achieve my dreams”.

 

To learn more about HBT, please read below:

You can support HBT to help more poverty-stricken children in Afghanistan by donating using the following link: Donate

To read more stories of students, please follow this link: Hbt sponsored students.

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