Vulnerable Chitrali Children

Children in Chitral, Pakistan are highly vulnerable. The news we observed in November 2011, was a tragedy. A teen boy and pre-teen girl made a decision to get married without informing their parents/guardians. They reached Begusht village and asked for help getting them married, and some gentlemen came forward, helped, and protected them from their parents at gun point. This action brought the situation to the attention of the world, but there are more things to say about our children. Children in Chitral are vulnerable for three reasons: unsafe access to guns; swimming without training; and child abuse by our society.

In Chitral, children have easy access to guns and ammunition. Parents never put their guns in a safety box. They do not keep ammunition away from the guns in different boxes. Children without gun safety training play with guns. They take the guns and go hunting as well. In western countries parents first give their children gun safety and hunter’s training then with mentor children go hunting. In Chitral, it is opposite; therefore, every year children kill themselves with the guns.

In addition, Chitrali children go swimming without any training. Children need training from splash to advance level before swimming. Children go to the river near by without parents/guardians. Moreover, parents take their children for wood collection during the flood season. Unfortunately, both parents and children have no idea of swimming. As a result, each year we see on the news about drown children in Chitral.

Beside the above, children get abused every moment in our society. Child abuse means hurting children physically or emotionally. Parents never encourage their children to speak up for their rights. They never understand the feelings of their children and never become friendly with them. As a result, children get abused by neighbors, cousins, teachers and many others. The children have no courage to discuss their problems with their parents. This is the reason children are at high risk in their lives, and every year we see children suicide on the news.

Children are helpless in Chitral in one way or another. Access to the guns, ammunition and inexperience hunting put children in danger. Moreover, they go to the river for swimming or collecting wood and lose their lives. Most importantly, children get abused every moment by people they should be able to trust, and their parents/guardians do not realize this. In Chitral, people treat teens and pre-teens like an adult which is terrible. We should not blame children for their mistakes; it is part of their learning process, and we need to guide them at all times. Our encouragement can make the children successful in their lives..-- Nazir Khan, Calgary Alberta, Canada.19 Nov 2011.

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