Little helper: Making ends meet by keeping evil at bay

Noorwali, 12, earns for his family by burning leaves to ward off the evil eye.

SWAT:

Amid the festivity of Eidul Fitr when most children enjoyed at funfairs set up across Mingora, Noorwali, 12, was tending to a responsibility much ahead of his years. Clad in common clothes, he stood outside a sweets’ shop to earn for his family. As customers lined up, he would burn sacred leaves for them as a means to ward off the evil eye.

“To me, Eid means to get enough food for my family and fulfil their other needs. My mother always says that being healthy is the best Eidi, if I were ill today, I wouldn’t be able to earn anything,” he said while talking to The Express Tribune.

In many cultures, evil eye is believed to cause bad luck, illness, misfortune or injury to those at which it is directed for reasons such as rivalry, envy or dislike. In other cultures, people wear amulets to prevent ill effects of the evil eye. Mothers often apply kohl to children’s eyes to protect them. The tradition of burning sacred leaves has been widely practiced in Swat District for long.

People who believe in myths pay Noor for the service as it is considered obligatory in various societies to revoke evil eye on joyous occasions, while others snub him for the practice. “Educated people don’t like the ritual as they don’t believe in it. Only illiterate and aged people pay for my service,” he said, adding that he normally gets Rs5 to Rs10 from each client and earns up to Rs200 toRs300 on a good day.

“Unlike others who beg, I go home in the evening proud of earning after hard work. Those who don’t like my ways should not snub me,” he said.

Noor is the eldest among his four siblings; his father is disabled and cannot earn. So the responsibility of earning livelihood fell upon his tiny shoulders. Days of celebrations are his favourite because he can earn a lot. “I’m happy to earn more than usual days. People become generous and pay me double on such occasions,” he said innocently.

Although he wants to get education, but feeding his family is his first priority. “It’s alright if I don’t end up being educated, I’ll try to send my brother and sisters to school as I see that educated people are clean and smarter than illiterate people. They have cards and money and people respect them,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2012.