From a Survivor's diary
By Akbar Ali
A child is a flower that refreshes and gives relief to all around him or her. But how many of us can claim to have relished the numerous highs and lows of childhood? Unfortunately, not many.
According to recent studies, 10 million children are currently engaged in child labour in Pakistan, out of which 300,000 are in Sindh.
Ask any adult and all of them will attest to missing that period of running around with abandon, to sneak in places now rarely even noticed, to listen to stories, to view things in the most innocent manner imaginable and to find colors and fantasy even in dark.
But the poor child labor around us is deprived of this all. They look at the mirth and the promising fun around them with a sadness. But how many of us can claim to be working for them? To stop the menace from spreading any further? To help alleviate poverty? To stress policymakers to take stern actions and educate them? To make things better?
I worked as a labor myself while young. I did embroidery till my mid-teens and had to leave my education to make ends meet. Thankfully I was surrounded by people who helped me step out of the vicious circle and work a salaried job.
But this was luck and blessings on my part. The millions around us stuck in human trafficking, abusing rights of children through various means of drugs and the ever-grinding capitalist economy are stuck right there and wait for our leaders to consider them equally human with wants and needs as their own children.
