STANDING at the bus stop for school early in the morning recently in Gilgit, my heart broke at the sight of young children aged 11-14 years rummaging through trash, trying to make a living. There was a chill in the air and a light drizzle was making things tougher for one and all. The children were no exception, or maybe they were.

Their small hands were clutching sacks filled with plastic and paper, while their innocent faces expressed the harsh reality of their lives. These children should have been in school, learning and dreaming about their future. Instead, they were forced to collect waste just to make ends meet. It was a heart-wrenching sight, but I wondered why such sights are not visible to the eyes of the officialdom in the country.

As I approached these children, hoping to offer some words of encouragement, they quickly ran away, leaving behind a bottle that fell out of one of the sacks they were carrying. It was a painful reminder that these children live amid constant fear and mistrust. They are neglected, abandoned and forgotten by society. It is an injustice that should not be tolerated.

The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government must take urgent action to provide these underprivileged children with the support they need. They deserve free education and access to basic social welfare programmes that may help them escape poverty and optimise their potential.

As a graduate from Government College University, Lahore, I am willing to volunteer as a teacher to ensure that these children receive the education they deserve. Education is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right that every child should be entitled to.

It is unacceptable to see young children collecting waste instead of going to school. We must come together as society to help alleviate the sufferings and woes of marginalised communities and empower them with the tools they need to build a better future.

The children of GB are the future of the region, and we cannot afford to let them fall through the cracks. We must act now to ensure that they have access to the education and support that they need to thrive. They deserve a chance to fulfil their dreams.

The local education authorities should establish free schools for these children and provide them with necessary resources and support to ensure fair play. These children deserve every chance to keep pace with the rest, and it is our duty to ensure that they are not left behind.

What we need is an honest approach that mus be backed by concrete steps, instead of scripted statements, hollow words and seriously fake hope-mongering.

Rakhshanda Abbas
Gilgit

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2023