The hands that were meant to hold a pen now wield tools. Twelve-year-old Muhammad Irfan works as an apprentice at a motorcycle repair shop in Faisalabad, toiling for 12 hours a day and earning between Rs100 to Rs150 daily.
With this meager income, Irfan supports his family, including four younger siblings who are still in school. “I pay their school fees with whatever I earn,” he says with quiet determination.
Irfan studied up to grade seven but had to quit school due to his family's financial difficulties. “When I see my friends going to school, I feel like studying again,” he adds wistfully. “If the government supports me, I would love to go back to school.”
