SWAT: Haider Hayat, teacher at a private school who became jobless due to closure of schools after lockdown imposed in wake of Covid-19, has started selling fried chickpeas to earn livelihood for his family.

The 36-year-old teacher told Dawn that he suffered financial problems after his school was closed due to the lockdown and his salary was stopped.

He lives in Barama area of Mingora and has done his graduation from Malakand University.

Mr Hayat has teaching in private schools for the last 10 years. “Before the lockdown, I joined a school as vice principal but since April I have not received salary because students do not pay their school fee,” he said.

Haider Hayat sells fried chickpeas to earn livelihood

Mr Hayat said that after his salary was stopped for one month, he borrowed food items from a nearby shop but when the shopkeeper realised that the schools were closed for an unknown period he stopped lending him food items from the next month.

“When the shopkeeper stopped lending food items, I thought to start some work for survival because my five-member family needed food and other basic necessities,” he said, adding that one day when there was nothing to cook, he noticed one kilogram chickpeas in his house.

“At once an idea struck my mind. I asked my wife to cook the chickpeas. When she cooked it, I took it out to sell it. I sold it at Rs125. With the same amount I started my work and since then I sell fried chickpeas in the streets. I can earn Rs300 to Rs400 a day with which I can arrange the two-time food for my family,” he said.

Mr Hayat said that it was a bit strange for him when his students started buying chickpeas from him in the streets. “Those children whom I taught the importance of education were seeing me wandering in the streets and calling to sell chickpeas like an illiterate man. It seems strange to them but I do not feel ashamed of selling chickpeas I am not doing something illegal or criminal,” he said with his eyes filled with tears.

In Swat about 12,000 men and women work in private schools as teachers but majority of them could not get Rs12,000 under Ehsas cash programme.

“At least the government should have enlisted all the private schoolteachers in the Ehsas emergency cash programme and also should have announced a relief package for them,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2020