Afghan child Fatima, 8, works from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, starting her long day by picking up boxes of ice cream from a wholesaler and then pushing her cart along the rough and uneven streets of the city.

“My only and biggest dream is to have some money, so that I don't need to work anymore and can go to school and study just like other girls,” Fatima told AFP.

“When I'm selling ice cream in front of this school and see other girls go inside, laughing and happy, I really wish I could go too."

Child labour is common in Afghanistan, with 17 per cent of all girls aged between 7 and 14 either working outside the home or doing full-time household chores, according to Unicef. — AFP/Aref Karimi