According to the UNICEF Report of 2022, Pakistan’s population is about 200 million and 45 percent of this is under the age of 18 and 54 percent of young children are at risk of poor development. Children are always the most vulnerable and could be considered at the receiving end of poverty. The Parkari Kohli children have always been susceptible to poor living conditions, malnutrition, and various illnesses.
Children in Pakistan: Photo Fr Liam O'Callaghan
I happen to meet a child named Angelina in one of the villages. She is three years old. She was frail and could not walk when I first gazed on her. There was a sad look in her eyes, a sense of worry and she could not even bring out a sad grin no matter how they try to cheer her up. I asked her if she feels any pain and she gave me that pained nod. It was visibly urgent that she needed medical intervention. She was confined to the hospital for many days and was treated for severe malnutrition. The doctor told us that it was due to severe malnutrition that hinders her growth and her inability to walk. She was enrolled in a government sponsored feeding program and got well. Now she is able to play, and she looks way better than she ever was. Many of the children were not as fortunate as Angelina. If you go to the cemeteries in the villages, you’ll see plenty of small graves. This recurring situation will linger on as long as they remain poor and deprived of education.
However, unwary of the poverty around them, whenever we visit the villages, you see children coming to meet us with the most thrilled reception. They are the most receptive of all and the most engrossed with the stories in the Gospel. Most of the celebrations of the Eucharist in the villages are flocked by children and they bring out an ever-joyful spirit. Their voices resonate in the open space as we sing hymns. In special liturgical celebrations, they always love to be part of the plays and dances. Our children are the most hopeful and persistent of all. A sense of unknowing is bliss I would say for these children who are innocent to the concept of poverty, nor do they realize the poverty around them. For them, what they have is more than good enough and they are living the good life.
Life is getting more and more difficult with the high inflation rate and the extreme weather conditions affecting the livelihood of the peasant farmers and because of this education for their children have always been at the periphery of the priorities for most families since providing food is extremely challenging already. Unlike the Children, we who do realize what lies ahead if this basic right is unmet should be wary. There is a need to foster in communities the value of education and to encourage parents to send their children to school. Thus, schools in the villages are crucial to providing access to education which should be affordable for the struggling families.
Children enjoying school time in Pakistan: Photo Fr Liam O'Callaghan
As the Columbans take on a new parish in the Diocese of Hyderabad, it is our primary interest to look after the welfare of children in the hope of providing quality education. The new parish has about 300 families scattered in around 12 villages. There are six primary schools that are included in the parish which were handed to the care of the Columbans. We consider these integral to the work of mission. We aim to strive to make learning an interesting journey for the future hope of the community. This is not an easy task. There is a lot of work to be done from providing access to good learning facilities and books, training teachers in the villages to practice standard methods of teaching, and getting the parents involve as stakeholders to invest in their children’s education no matter how difficult it may be.
Our vision is that children should not end up in the fields working with their parents. The school is where they rightly belong. We envision that many of our Parkari Kohli children whilst being proud of their identity will be able to get out from the vicious cycle of working as enslaved peasant farmers, be skilled in different filled of work, and uplift their community. Only then can the cycle of poverty and all afflictions that come with it be put to an end
Fr Louie Ybanez works in Pakistan
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