Daily Times

KARACHI: Rehri Goth, a sub urban area of District Malir Karachi where more than 10 well equipped schools, both government and charity, are fully operational but majority of the children have not even completed their matriculation since they left schools after completion of primary or middle level.

Apart from this, a number of Non Government Organizations are also functioning to enhance the life standards of the residents in the locality but it does not seem much idyllic. The children and women could be easily ascertained looking after their cattle all day-those cattle are mostly buffalos, oxen and donkeys.

Rehri Goth is also one of the oldest coastal sites located on the Arabian Sea near Bin Qasim Town in District Malir, Karachi. In general, residents of the area are linked with fishing and depend their livelihood on the seafood trade. “I have been fishing for the past several decades like my parents, to catch fish so I need nets, the boats and other necessary tools for it”, said Ahmed Dhodha while staring at the phone camera, people visit their community to take photos of them but are totally unaware of our requirements.

The children of the area between the age of 10 to 15 wish- to working on fishing vessels and boats to make some money for their underprivileged parents. “They don’t need to be a graduate for catching fish-they know by birth the skills of fishing and there is no graduate fisherman in whole Rehri Goth”, he regretted, added that some of the influential suppress the truth because they are getting government concessions in the name of them for their own commission and those people have either constructed schools or are running other educational institutes.

Manzor Ahmed, a 55 year old, disillusioned that it’s their destiny to remain a fishermen; we can’t do anything for the betterment of their future. After our children reach the age of 10 from 12 years we take them out of the schools and get them involved in fishing. “It’s not easy for others to understand because if there is nothing on the table to eat then educational credentials cannot provide food “, he justified his stance, suggested that government should help the fishermen community to stand on own feet for increased income, that’s the only way they will be able to educate their children up to the mark.

He pointed out that just as similar as city’s other congested areas, drugs are being sold in their village as well, resulting some of the youngsters are becoming drug addicts. “I remember, many young boys lost their precious lives by drug addicts in past few years, even my own son”, he recalled while holding tears in the eyes, added we want educated children in our village like others areas but we don’t have enough resources while the police has allowed the drug dealers to operate openly.

“An officer of Pakistan Ranger who had come from Larkana and someone had told him that mostly Sindhis are residing in the area where drug dealers are openly operating on the behalf of the police . He tried control these criminals but was transferred soon which has left the situation even worse”, he expressed exhaustions, said that the schools and colleges have no worth if the government fails to manage the social issues among the fishermen community.

Nawaz Khaskheli, a local teenager claimed that he does too much laborious work on fishing boat, earns 7 to 8 thousand in 15 days trip. Once he was student also but his father forbad him for going school. “My father said, you can’t become an officer therefore it’s better for me to become a fisherman and make money”, he complained, added that he is not happy working as his forefathers did for years.

Saeed Ahmed, a local leader of Pakistan Peoples Party said that his ancestors were shifted to the area some two hundred years ago and the life style of the residents in the locality is still tribal , they don’t care for education or don’t know the importance of education. There are more than 10 schools each having rather better facility than the schools situated in the city centre.

“In the greed of money, parents take their children out without completion school”, he criticised , added that the parents have even no ascendancy over their own children and those children make an handsome amount of money while they don’t know how to spent it, they misuse it and get into drugs and other tribulations. He appreciated that many schools are operational in the coastal area of Rehri Goth which offer quality education without charging any fees.

Published in Daily Times, July 18th, 2017.