Child laborers in Paktia province said they are forced to work due to economic challenges, leaving them deprived of education.

Zahedullah, a 14-year-old resident of the Ibrahim Khil area in Gardez city, is one of these children who, because of financial difficulties, was unable to complete his education in the sixth grade.

Now working as an apprentice mechanic, he says: "I studied until the sixth grade, but due to economic problems, I had to stop. Now I’m busy learning trade. If given the opportunity, I would love to return to school."

Other child laborers in Gardez, who are engaged in hard labor due to economic hardships, call on officials and aid organizations to support them and provide educational opportunities.

"I want to go to school, but I have to work here out of necessity. I ask the government to create educational opportunities for us,” said Hasibullah, a child laborer in Paktia.

"Out of necessity, I do very hard work here and lift heavy metal pieces. I need to learn a skill,” Zabihullah, another child laborer in Paktia.

"There are many children like me here who are doing difficult jobs. We have a future, and we must study. We ask the government to help provide educational opportunities for us,” said Sayed Abdul Fazl, another child laborer in Paktia.

Meanwhile, local officials in Paktia say they have provided free education for some orphaned and needy children and are working to expand educational programs.

"We don't have exact statistics from the past to determine whether the number of child laborers has increased or decreased. However, many children are engaged in hard labor. As the department responsible, we are trying to implement programs that not only provide educational opportunities but also ensure the work they do is not beyond their capacity, “said Mohammad Rahim Nasrat, the head of Paktia's Labor and Social Affairs Department.

These appeals come as four months ago, the Global Poverty Index reported that the number of impoverished children in Afghanistan is five million more than the adult population.

The child laborers in Paktia hope that with the support of the government and international organizations, they can leave behind hard labor and return to classrooms to build a brighter future for themselves.