Like every year, first June was celebrated as the ‘Day of Children’ throughout the world and to some extent in Afghanistan, as well. Some gatherings were arranged by some NGOs and leaders gave healthy remarks in newspapers but except this, we did not hear of anything encouraging and this year’s children’s day also went without any good news for millions of Afghan children who are suffering due to numerous circumstances.

The biggest problem that is exclusive for the Afghan children is the orphanage and being deprived of any kind of moral and economic support from the family. Usually, children are supposed to get education, play and pass their times with pleasure and comfort until they reach to a certain age when they can shoulder different responsibilities of life and family. In our society, this comfort is provided to the children and rest of the members of a family by father who leads as the head of the family.

Unfortunately, our three decades long war left innumerable children, orphans and women, widows and these orphans and widows had no other option except to come out of their houses to earn the bread for the family. It is the reason why we see that large number of small children work in different places and due to our corrupt society and low ethical standards and practices, these children are misused and are put into certain miserable conditions. They are forced to work for prolonged hours, paid very less wages and are not given any facility like medical or others.

Another problem is the lack of sufficient number of schools and relevant facilities. According to a report issued by Ministry of Labor, Disabled and Martyr, six million Afghan children are deprived of schooling and thus they work in different places. On the other hand, those who are enrolled in schools are not getting a standard education because of the low standard of education in the country.

These two major problems give birth to numerous other problems regarding children like early-age crimes, drug addiction and others that can be cured once these two root-cause problems are solved.

It is necessary that instead of spending money on useless activities like seminars and workshops in which only glittering words are found in action and nothing practical comes to surface, it is necessary that these funds should be spent on projects that should truly address the problems faced by a common Afghan child in the streets. With this, we would be able to make claims of being serious in solving the problems faced by our children.