Conversation with a 12 Year Old Boy Selling Tea at Bus Station...
I was coming back to workplace from home. When I got my ticket and went inside an already packed waiting room, a little boy came in with thermos in one hand and a bucket full of cups in the other. He looked hardly 12 and was selling tea at 9:00 PM at a bus station. What a contrast to my 13 year old cousin who's learning how to blog!
Image Source. I do not like to take photos of people having bad times; especially children selling tea at night.
Having spent a difficult childhood myself, it is difficult, and emotionally painful, for me to look at a child living a life of deprivation and poverty. Seeing a child selling goods, drinks or food for living is very disturbing, at least for me personally. Even with a difficult childhood, I never had to work for living...
But there I was, seeing the little man in the eyes and asking myself thousands of questions. He was selling hot green tea so I ordered a cup. He poured one for me. It was really tasty. As I took sips from the hot tea, I started talking to this young boy who was working like older men.
Me: What's your name?
Him: Shayan.
Me: Where do you live?
Shayan: Kuri Road
Me: Do you study?
Shayan: Yes, I do. I sell tea and eggs to earn something for my home.
Me: Which grade?
Shayan: 6th
Me: What does your father do?
Shayan: He became angry with our mother.
Me: So he left you and you live with your mother?
Shayan: Yes
(I'm not sure if it's a divorce or a temporary separation)
Me: How many siblings are you?
Shayan: I have one elder brother and two younger sisters.
Me: What does your brother do?
Shayan: He comes here too and is selling eggs across the road.
Me: When do you come here?
Shayan: I come here at the station at 7:00 PM. First, I sell eggs and then at 8:00 PM I come to Faisal Movers (the place we both were at) to sell tea here.
Meanwhile, seeing me enjoy the tea, more people started ordered tea from him.
Me: Does anyone bother you?
Shayan: I have made friends here. Policemen, traffic police, uncle Rasheed at the station. All of them are good to me and if someone disturbs me, they kick his butt.
Me: Do you have a phone number? (Thinking I should keep in touch and arrange support for his education under the banner of my Educate One Child initiative)
Shayan: No, I don't have a number. There's one at home but I don't remember it.
Me: Okay. I'll give you my number on a paper and you can call me later.
Shayan: Okay
Me: What happened to your hand?
Shayan: My right hand grew an extra thumb...
Me:
Shayan, life does not remain same at all times. It is difficult at some times and easy at others. Never stop studying. Your current life is not your final destiny. It will change. Never lose hope.
Shayan: (Intriguing looks...)
I paid the 10 Rupees for the cup. Then I took out a currency note of 1000 Rupees and handed it to him; trying to keep it a secret from people in the waiting room. I told him to use these to buy things he needed for school. He told me that he will give this money to her mother and she will give it to him when needed. It was fair enough. I wrote my number and name on a paper and gave it to him. I do hope to receive a call.
Millions of children in South Asia are living miserable lives. They not only have to work to earn a living, they also are subjected to untold abuses in this tender age. Shayan is not the first child I have met and talked to and he is not the last one yet. My heart goes out for all the hardworking children who are sacrificing their childhood to make ends meet...
100 % payout of this post will be donated to Shayan who sells boiled eggs and tea at Faisal Movers Bus Station in Islamabad daily, except on Sunday.
What a beautiful story of how each individual matters. When we hear the statistics of millions needing food and education, it's easy to be overwhelmed. When we make it practical and mention one single individual, everything comes into focus. We can all help in small ways and the emergent result is a better world.
Thank you very much for such an insightful comment. It reminded me I was having a conversation on this thread and this is what I said.
I agree that focus changes when we have one particular person to deal with, rather than millions of unmanageable problems around the world.
We surely can help in many ways. I have promised to donate entire payout (liquid as well Steem equal to SP) of this post to Shayan and his struggling family. I will fulfill my promise.
Shayan is different, a diamond in a pile of rubble..am sure they are more like him and if we had more people like you, the world would definitely be a better place, amazing work you doing, cheers
I was one such diamond and having seen myself shine, I am obliged to help others shine too. But Shayan is having way too much trouble at such a tender age. I didn't want to take a picture but his loveable face would have made many cry...
even without his picture, we see the picture.
That's so empathic of you to say that.
This is a moving piece @Ilyastarar. I am happy that you noticed this boy and his struggle, and that you are sensitive to those in need. Life is difficult, even when we have many advantages and privileges. I couldn't imagine the hardships Shayan faces.
Thanks for sharing this interaction with us. I hope that good things are in your future and Shayans.
Thank you very much. I wanted to share my deep felt observations and also create awareness about such children. Also, payout of this post will go to Shayan to fund his education or household needs of the family. Every little contribution helps.
I wish to see Shayan, and all such children, have a better future in which they do not have to sell small things for living and do not have to bear so much deprivation. I will do my part to create such a future.
Tears in my eyes!
Fuck..life is unfair... I see those bureaucrats and politicians earning millions in the form of embezzlement and corruption....my blood boils...
Wish those bastards understand the effect of their nefarious deeds.
These underprivileged one are the responsibility of the community and state...
If you Ilyas can feel it, why can't those corrupt fuckers see. Are they bloody blind? Are they fucking deaf?
Fuck it man....
I've met hundreds of them in Pindi/Islamabad. I've been commuting to and from these places for 9 years now and have met many such children... State does not care... We need to take care of our future... These kids are our future...
Well said Ilyas...Yeah I too interact with them some times...
Those little Princes appear in the form of newspaper seller, tea boy, selling veggies and waiters etc..
I some time wonder how difficulties can suddenly fast-forward a child life, straight from playish childhood to responsible earnhood....
There are two kinds of child vendors.
Kids coming from economically and domestically disturbed background.
Kids made part of begging/selling business by big, organized mafias in cities.
Both cases involve kids and both are cruel. It's hard to determine lesser of the two evils. The first kind can always be helped. Their families need support and if they get that support, children don't have to work. One of the hurdles is the parents who do not want their kids to abandon work because they want the money. It's a shame that such people get to be parents.
The other kind is complicated. More often than not, they do not have a family. Even if they have one, the whole family is bounded labour in control of some mafia. There's hardly anything that can help them except concrete government action; which lacks at the moment.
Heart wrenching story indeed. A while ago I wrote this article about post-scarcity economy, which would be made possible due to advancements in Aritificial intelligence, and technologies like Vertical farming and asteroid mining etc. The point being that in that time, everything would be in abundance, and most of the human needs could be fulfilled through technology. There would be no need for money for meeting basic necessities of life. Some credit system would still be required though for allocating scarce resources, such as prime real estate. Experts say that we could have such a post-scarcity economy as soon as in 2050. Checkout more about it here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-scarcity_economy
I would love to live a world full of abundance and no scarcity at all. Technology will create such a future and I am a firm believer in a better world than we have right now.
As of now, our hearts need to be abundant in feeling others' pain and giving what we have. By helping one kid at a time by one person, we can achieve a better future for these scarcity struck children.
Thanks for the link.
@ilyastarar this is a touching article. Thank you for making the world a better place. Every little step matters.
Thank you very much, Nick! Every little step counts! Absolutely!
Thank you for your empathy and for sharing this story with us! Please keep us up to date on how he is doing.
I'll either get a call from him or meet him at the same bus station because I commute regularly. I will post an update on him soon.
Thank you, I appreciate that :)
💓 Heart touching story. You are doing great & I hope your efforts will be a changing agent. Thanks for highlighting the issue!
Thank you for seeing the bigger picture and noticing the issue. I wish that all of us take care of at least one such child. If we can do that with a little organization, there will be no children selling things on roads but just children going to school.
My Salam and Salute to Shayan for his hard work and dedication. My special thanks to you for posting such heart touching post. This post encourages and uplifts the poor and needy people.
Thanks you very much. We need empathy and compassion to make all lives better; not just our own.
Many countries are struggling due to corruption. But who take action, gets it covered. who doesn't they destroy themselves