Shahbaz Bokhari
shahbaz@sdpi.org
The case study has been taken from SDPI research, Trafficking in children for labour and sexual exploitation in Pakistan.
Khalid, 13, has spent seven years in Abu Dhabi as a camel jockey. Boiled rice and lentils were all he got to eat during his stay. The employer’s refrigerator would be full of chicken, mutton and beef, but none of it was for Khalid.
He spent seven years in a tent without electricity. The employer provided him rice and lentil for lunch and dinner. One cup of tea was his breakfast. It was to keep the children lightweight.
There were two life-threatening incidents during his stay in Abu Dhabi. First, the death of his close friend during a camel race and second, when the tent caught fire and one of the children, from Pakistan’s Seraiki region, was burnt to death.
Khalid’s hair was scorched, as he barely escaped fire. After the incident, the employer kept all the children bald.
Background
Khalid belongs to a tenant family that settled in Rahim Yar Khan ten years ago. His family was working as haris (bonded labour) in Sindh for a landlord, who gave them 45,000 rupees loan. They had spent more than ten years with the landlord. It was not possible for the family to pay the debt. It migrated to Punjab and settled in one of the villages of Rahim Yar Khan.
One of the landlords paid their debt to the landlord in Sindh. The family spent three years with the new landlord. But the family was going through hard times. The father and one of sons had jaundice, which put the family under heavy debt of the landlord. The debt exceeded 100,000 rupees. To make matters worse, the landlord, not happy with the performance of the family, demanded his money back. Finally the family’s current landlord paid their debt. Now the family’s debt is more than 150,000 rupees.
Khalid’s father works with the landlord as a farm laborer, in retun for 1200 rupees and one-maund wheat a month, and one-litre milk daily. The landlord has given him a house. Khalid’s sister works at the landlord’s home for 200 rupees and one maund of wheat a month. The landlord gives clothes to all the family members twice a year. The females of the family work during cotton-picking season and receive payments on market rates.
Khalid has five brothers and five sisters. Three sisters and a brother are married. They were married early – between the ages of 13-16 years. Early age marriage in the family is preferred, and none of the children had access to education.
Journey to Hell
At the age of seven Khalid was sent to Abu Dhabi. A local agent approached his parents and lured them to a ‘prosperous future’. The family was passing through tough times. The father was sick and none of the other family members were able to feed the family.
According to Khalid’s mother, the daughters’ marriage was another worry. She wanted to give her daughters a proper dowry. It was the moment that compelled Khalid’s parents to send him as a camel jockey.
On the third visit of agent, they consented to send the child. They paid nothing to the agent. He arranged for Khalid’s travel documents and expenses that were later deducted from his salary. The agent took 30,000 rupees in one year.
Though poverty is the main reason for parents to send children as camel jockeys, unfortunately the move does not bring any change in the family’s economic condition.
Khalid traveled by train from Rahim Yar Khan to Karachi, and took a flight from there. A local woman and man along with two other children took him to Abu Dhabi. The children spent one month with that couple before traveling to Abu Dhabi. It was a training session to familiarize him with other children and the couple, who were to be his mother and father during travel. The children traveled as brothers, in other words as family.
Khalid went through extensive training for two years. His Bengali and Sudanese trainers were strict and cruel. Verbal and physical abuse were routine. Khalid won two main camel races and received a golden sword and unaccountable cash that were taken by his employer.
On average Khalid participated in one camel race a month. Twelve camels take part in a race. Children are tied with a rope to the camel. Some of them fall down from the camel, resulting in injury and sometimes death.
Khalid witnessed the death of a child during a race. In the beginning children weep in fear as the camel runs fast. After three to four races a child is experienced and easily manages the race.
Khalid used to sleep at 7 p.m. and get up at 2 a.m. in the summer and 5 a.m. in the winter. There were four children for 20 camels. One of them was from the neighboring village and two children were from Sindh.
Salary Cut
He received 600 dirhams as salary in the beginning, which was reduced to 500 after a year, and finally settled at 400 dirhams. Khalid never inquired about the cut in salary. His agent received the salary and kept a big chunk of it with himself. His family received his salary occasionally through the female agent who took him to Abu Dhabi. That agent deducted a major bulk of money from his salary as travel cost.
One of the children was from Khalid’s neighboring village and he sent his salary directly to his parents. He requested his employer to send Khalid’s salary in to his account. The employer agreed to pay him directly, and the role of agent was eliminated. That was not acceptable for the agent. After a few months, the agent approached the employer and asked him to replace the children. The employer agreed and sent Khalid back to Pakistan. Khalid was more than happy to be back.
Homecoming and the Fraud
Khalid’s mother went to Karachi along with the landlord to receive her son. One of the officers of Overseas Pakistan Foundation (OPF) informed them that the Sheikh had given a cheque of 175,000 rupees for Khalid, which was due salary of 8-9 months. The officer said the cheque had been deposited in a bank, and Khalid could withdraw the money when he is eighteen.
Khalid and his mother re-visited Karachi and asked the officer about the bank and account number of the deposited cheque. The officer refused to tell anything about the cheque and apologized for the “misunderstanding”. The family and the landlord believe the officials had taken the money. The landlord paid the travel expenses of the two visits to Karachi, which will be added to the debt.
Initially the family was not happy with Khalid’s return, thinking the agent has persuaded the “Sheikh” in Abu Dhabi to send the child back, and look for new lightweight children. Most of the parents think that the agents have close relationship with the “Sheikh” in Abu Dhabi.
The Present
Today Khalid is working as a domestic worker in Rahim Yar Khan. He receives 400 rupees a month with accommodation and food. He gets up early in the morning and sleeps after sunset – a habit he developed in Abu Dhabi. His employer is caring and does not force him to work after sunset. Dishwashing, cleaning and dusting of home are his main tasks. He gives the salary to his mother. Khalid says both education and work are important, though he prefers work.
As Khalid has settled into a new life, his family is happy that he has escaped an exploitative environment.
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