Longing for a permanent home

Shelter facilities record increase in numbers of abandoned young girls

LAHORE:

Mahim waits all year round for the two Eids as it is the only time she gets to be in the presence of her family; what follows after the visits is a profound sense of sadness and wishing things were different.

The 12-year-old, Mahim, was left at Kashana Markaz along with her younger sister by their father. Mahim’s parents are divorced and her mother moved to Karachi after remarrying - her father dropped the two siblings off at the center when he remarried.

In Punjab, it is common for families to disown their daughters due to financial reasons; however, it is even more common for parents to leave their female offspring at the doorsteps of centers like Edhi, Kashana, and the provincial Child Protection Bureau for the want of a son.

Commenting on the harrowing trend, an official of the Child Protection Bureau, narrated that a few months ago, a newborn baby girl was handed over to the bureau from a government hospital in Lahore.

“The mother who gave birth to the baby had left her in the hospital, reason being that she already had three daughters and her in-laws threatened to evict her if she had another daughter,” the official informed whilst requesting anonymity.

According to the provincial bureau, the bureau currently has nine such newborn baby girls in their custody.

Similarly, the Kashana Markaz which is located in Township Lahore, was set up for the homeless and needy to get an education and vocational training; however, over the years, it too has become the go to place for girls who are not wanted by their families or for girls whose families state that they cannot afford to house them.

Hafza Latif, who also lives in the center, was left here by her mother as she could not spend money on her education or upbringing. “I was four years old when my father died. Now my brother and mother live together but they left me here over a year ago.

I only get to see them on Eid days,” a distraught Hafza said as tears rolled down her cheeks. Unlike Hafza, Mahim has become numb to grief as she has been in the center for three years now. Mahim, who is in the eighth grade, is content with her life for now and hopes to become a gynecologist one day.

“My sister and I get food and shelter over here which our family refuses to provide for us. My plan is to live here until I can start earning,” Mahim said while putting up a brave face.

Mahim said that there were days when she longed for her mother and the sadness was unbearable but she had to be strong for her sister.

“She wants to join the Pakistan Army one day and I will make sure she does.” Kashana’s social welfare officer, Saima Rafique, when asked on how does the Kashana Markaz deal with the psychological problems the young girls go through, Saima stated: “We realize that being left by their families has an impact on their mental health and affects their personality, therefore we bring in psychologists to counsel them and help them adjust at the center so that they can forget their troubled past.”

However, most of these efforts go in vain when the girls eventually visit their families on holidays.

“They often return even sadder than they used to be. We try our best to keep them engaged in as many activities as possible,” Saima told The Express Tribune.