Today morning on a Sunday while driving on my way back to home my eyes fell on two beautiful boys walking along the road, each of them lifting a bag of heavy sack of garbage. These sacks were huger than their own size and heavier than their own weight!

These little angels were wearing shalwar kameez and walking side by side, when i stopped by them.

“Beta, kya kar rahe ho?” (What are you doing)  I asked them.

“Kachra Utharahe hain Baji” (Picking up garbage)  – they responded

“Kis ne bola hai uthane ko?” (Who told you to collect garbage) – Me

Mamu ne (our uncle) – one of the kids nervously replied.

Their ages were around 7 and 10 only. Arid the boy in the picture told me that his parents are in Swat and they have sent him here to live with his uncle to earn money. The other kid with him was his cousin.

When asked how much do you both earn, Arid responded we get 150 each, we fill in the sack and then we take it on a donkey cart. 

“School jaoge?” (Do you want to go to school?) – there was pin drop of silence in that moment. Both of them quiet, when Arids cousin spoke for the first time in our conversation. “Ghar Walu se pooch k bat aye ge”. And he had a bright smile on his face.

They told me they were both hungry, i got them lunch from a nearby cafe. And while i was turning my car to leave, Arid with a smile said ‘ډیره مننه a Pashto word to say thank you!

They currently live with their uncle in Akhtar colony in Karachi. I hope we all as citizens can make a small difference in at least one persons life and stop relying on governments. Let’s do our part together and make this world a better place.